vnder the heauen and so there is a time wherein we are as well commanded to fast as we haue liberty to feast and therefore as Esra and the Leuites would not haue the people to fast weepe then Nehem. 8.10.11 but rather to eate and reioice when it was a time of ioy So the Prophet Esay findeth fault with some of his time Esay 22.12.13 who when the Lord called them by his worde and punishments vnto fasting they fell to feasting and so there was as he said killing of sheepe and oxen eating and drinking And so neither of them knew what was fit for their seuerall times we must therefore be perswaded that as there are times in which God of his great mercy giueth vs liberty to feast and to vse his creatures not onely for necessitie sparingly but for delight abundantly as at marriages and other times of reioicing so there is a time also when he would haue vs not onely eate temperately which we must doe alwaies euen at feasts that wee fall not to surfiting and drunkennesse but euen to absteine wholly from meat and drink and all other comforts of this life to those blessed endes for which he hath ordained it â—he Iewes â—d a stanâ—ng fast â—erely â—eu 16.29 To this end wee may remember what is written concerning fasting in the booke of Leuiticus and namely how there it is said that the Lord commaunded the Iewes once a yeere that euery soule should humble it selfe with fasting before the Lorde in one of the great assemblies where Moses sheweth or rather the Lord by him that this fast should be kept perpetually once a yeere and in what moneth and what day of the moneth and to what end namely to humble themselues for their sinnes and therefore what must then be done viz. that they must abstaine from all worke and worldly businesse and be occupied in all exercise of Gods worship as vpon the Sabbath day and that the Priest should make attonement by praier to obtaine remission of their sinnes And the same commandement is set downe againe in as many wordes in the 23. Leu. 23.2 chapter of the same booke where he sheweth that all were bounde to it and that they should then lay aside all their wordly businesse and haue an holy conuocation and therein haue sacrifices and praier that it might be a Sabbath vnto them as all fastes are of the nature of the Sabbathes sauing that in them they abstaine from meat and then all things are done to an other end euen that there might be great humiliation in them for their sinnes which two are not so proper vnto the Sabbath and so vpon their repentance God might be reconciled vnto them and spare them which are most excellent ends of fasting and a great fruit of that worke which might prouoke all vnto it and none might repent them of their labour And in these places though there be no mention of absteining from meate and drinke and so they may seeme not to appertaine to this argument of fasting yet besides that all learned men doe thus take them that this was a day of yeerely fasting euen the verie circumstance also of the text doth necessarily lead vs vnto this interpretation for when he not onely makes it a daie of abstaining from al worke and spending it wholly in Gods seruice publikely but also that the end of it should be that they might be humbled for their sins so reconciled vnto God this humbling of their souls is principally vrged and we know that the humbling of the body is a meanes to humble the soule and the body is specially humbled and brought downe by abstaining from meate and drinke and other comforts of it and besides we finde by practise in the Scripture that in other times of great humiliation the seruants of God haue abstained from these things therefore wee may be assured that this is ment in these places and that this was their practise that vpon this day they abstaining from meat and drinke did thus also cease from worke and were occupied in Gods worship to this end euen to the humbling of themselues before the Lord and so this was the thing that was commaunded them yeerely to doe euen to keepe a daie of fast And there was great reason of it There was great reasâ— of it for in the yeere many great sins might be committed of al sorts which might iustly prouoke Gods wrath against them and so they had great cause to be humbled for them and once in the yeere God might shew some tokens of his displeasure in some of his punishments as by raising vp some enemies against them by sending sicknes scarcitie vnseasonable weather and such like therefore they might thinke that once in the yeere at the least there was cause for them thus to humble themselues especially when God had coÌ„manded them so to do For though they should thus humble themselues continually for their sinnes as they sell out yet to helpe their iâ—fiâ—mitie â—hey had a set time appointed for it 〈◊〉 doe it more thorowly For as the◠〈…〉 Sabbath giuen them that 〈◊〉 a weeke they might wholly 〈◊〉 â—om their labors and attend vpon the worship of God for their good tâ—ough they should euery day redeeâ—e the time and as they had their daily sacrifices morning and euening and so times for praier So heere though all should continually be humbled for their sinnes priuate and mourne for them that were publike when they saw any tokens of Gods displeasure yet to helpe their infirmitie heerein they had a solemne day appointed for this purpose that the time it selfe might not onely put them in minde of that which otherwise would haue beene forgotten of the most or not so seriously thought vpon but also further them therein And as we finde by experience how needful it is to haue a Sabbath to put vs in minde of and to further vs in Gods seruice for how few doe it at all or as they should vpon the weeke daies and then what would they doe if there were no Sabbath at all So the godly no doubt in those daies did finde by their owne experience that though they had oftentimes cause in respect of their sinnes and the punishment of them to fast publikely and priuately yet if they had had no set time appointed for it they should verie often haue failed in so necessarie a dutie euen as we see among our selues that because we haue no such times appointed for vs that verie few though they haue great cause do practise it at any time Therefore this was Gods goodnesse to that people to giue them such a commandement How farre he equity f that law â—indeth vs. Now though the ceremony of the yeerely day be taken away as many other solemne daies of theirs are yet the thing it selfe that is Fasting is not taken away for though we be not tied to that yeerly day yet we are bound at somtimes
recompensed that great losse by sending so worthy a King into her roome yet we might then haue feared some other great punishment as we see how this plague hath followed and there was cause to feare it before though few did thinke of it and what may be next vnto this we know not wee are sure that much hath beene deserued and so by fasting and prayer in respect of these great sinnes wee had need to seeke to the Lord to turne it away And thus much for the second cause which might mooue vs to feare some great wrath and displeasure of God to bee shewed in some kinde of correction and rodde of his whereby wee might willingly humble our selues before him in publike fasting euen the great sinnes that in all sorts euery where abound and most shamefully lift vp their heads vncontroled Thirdly and last of all Gods nor â—â— to come apearing iâ— his iudgement denounced haue been causes of publike sâ— sâ—ing concerning this matter the seruants of God in former times haue wisely discerned beforehand of the stormie tempest of Gods wrath to come by the fearefull threatnings of Gods iudgement denounced against them by his faithfull seruaunts that haue spoken to them in his Name whom as they haue beene perswaded that they haue beene stirred vp by his holy spirit to speake vnto them from his mouth and to warne them thereby out of his word as from himselfe so they haue feared the things that haue beene spoken against them and as though they did see them comming haue sought vnto him by fasting and prayer to escape them And this is the thing that mooued the King of Niniue to doe as he did namelie that when hee heard the preaching of the Prophet Iona how hee did crie out against their sinne and threatned Gods vengeance to light speedily vpon the whole citie vnlesse they did speedilie repent â—ona 3.4 euen that within fortie dayes Niniue should be ouerthrowen when this word came vnto him hee arose from his throne laied his robe from him and couered himselfe with sackecloth and sate in ashes and proclaimed a fast thorow the whole citie by the counsell of the King his nobles saying Let neither man nor beast feed nor drinke water that so in all humilitie they seeking to God for mercy and turning euery man froÌ„ his euill waâ—es they might bee spared in this which they saw they had so great cause to feare for it is sayd The people of Niniue beleeued God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackecloth from the greatest of them euen to the least of them they beleeued in God and that moued them to do so that is they beleeued that Iona Iona. 3.5 who thus preached was a true Prophet and that God had sent him to doe this message vnto them and that their sinnes had deserued this vtter destruction threatned and that of his iustice God might bring it vpon them and therefore though they yet sawe not howe and which way it should come to passe yet beleeuing these things they fell to fasting and prayer to pacifie Gods wrath and to escapâ— it So that as the sound of the trumpet doth warne men to prepare themselues to battell and to go meet with their enemies so this preaching of Gods seruant who lifted vp his voice against them as a trumpet did awaken them out of the sleepe of security and to meet the Lord who was become their enemie by reason of their sinnes and in fasting and praier humblie submitting themselues vnto him to intreat at his hands conditions of peace And truelie in this respect if we should not in like maner seeke to the Lord with fasting praier that his wrath might be appeased towards vs we could not plead ignorance as not knowing anie cause why we should doe so â—Ve haue not wanted this â—ause of publike fasting â—mong vs. for we must needes confesse that the faithfull Ministers of Christ haue often and long ago in the pulpits proclaimed open warre against vs for our sinnes that is they haue threatned Gods heauie iudgements against vs out of his Word to rowse vs from the drowsie securitie of sinne Haue we not heard it preached vnto vs as it was to the Iewes that the kingdome of God should bee taken from vs for our great barrennesse Mat. 21.43 and green to a nation that should bring forth the fruits thereof And haue we not heard the words of the Prophet â—sa 5.1 that whereas the Lord had planted among vs a vineyard in a very fruitefull hill and had hedged it and gathered out the stones of it and had planted it with the best plants and had built a tower in the middes thereof and made a wine-presse therein and then looked that it should bring foorth grapes but it brought foorth wilde grapes that therefore hee would take awaie the hedge thereof that it might be eaten vp and would breake downe the wall thereof that it might be troden down and that he would lay it waste that it should not be digged but briers and thornes should growe vp in it and woulde commaund the cloudes that they should not raine vpon it And as this hath beene threatned so the Lord might according to our deserts after the death of our late Queene Elizabeth haue giuen vs vp either into the hands of some forraine enemies abroad or rebellious persons at home who might haue broken downe all and laid vs the Church of God waste Now though he hath spared vs this waie yet according to former iudgement denounced hee hath not let vs alone in our sinnes but hath taken vs into his owne hande by sending this pestilence among vs which Dauid accounted a great fauour when it was offered vnto him by the prophet Gad 2. Sam. 24.13 after that hee had offended the Lord in numbring of the people whether of these three punishments he would choose either seuen yeeres famine to come vpon the land or to flie three monthes before his enemies or that there should be three daies pestilence in the land saying I am in a woonderfull great strait let vs now fal into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of men and so hee chose the pestilence as a mercifull visitation of the Lord and so must we thinke that though the Lorde hath brought this upon vs for our sinnes according to that that hath beene threatned by his seruants yet heerein he hath delt verie mercifully with vs in that he hath deliuered vs from the cruel oppression of bloody men For Gods iudgements to come for our sinnes haue beene constantly threatned We must needs then acknowledge that the seruants of God haue not kept silence against our sins but haue out of his worde shewed that of his iustice and trueth hee must needes punish vs some waie for our sinnes vnlesse we speedily repent And this as it hath beene alwaies the vsuall dealing of
them but of sorrowing mourning which in it he required of them â—hese fastâ—s â—urs wee st lab â—r this true â—ilitie 〈◊〉 contritâ—â—â—f minde And by all these we may easily vnderstand how greatly in these fastings of ours we also should deiect our selues in our own eies what sorow and griefe of mind should be in vs because of our sinnes and of the wrath of God so manifestly appearing against them And truely if euery man and woman would enter into a serious consideration of their liues past and examine themselues their deeds words and thoughts in al the commandements of God wee might be more humbled then we are especially if we did wisely consider also the punishments due to vs for them and those not onely threatned but alreadie in great measure vpon vs by this great mortalitie in manie places which still increaseth Therefore let euerie one pray to God that he would worke this in him that hee may haue a soft and tender heart a broken and contrite spirit which is an acceptable sacrifice vnto him and which he will not despise as the Prophet saith that is will most fauourablie accept Psal 51.17 that I saie hee may be wounded and prickt at his heart for his sinne and let vs all pray that this abstinence and fasting might be blessed to euerie one of vs to these endes so shall it be acceptable vnto God and profitable to our selues And this must be professed by our deeds and confessed in our words Furthermore as this abstinence is vsed to this ende euen to bring vs to this sorow for our sinnes which wee haue spoken of so also that we might professe to the glorie of God that we doe thus iudge of our selues indeed 1. Cor. 11.24 For as the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper is appointed not onely that we might remember the death of Christ by it vers 26. according as it is written This doe yee in remembrance of me but that we might shew it foorth vntill his comming againe as it is saide in the same place As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe yee shew the Lords death till he come euen that wee looke to be saued by it onely to the condemning of all those that put their trust in any thing else So this abstinence is vsed not onely to bring vs to this vile esteeming of our selues for our sinnes but that in the feeling of it we might by our practise and in our praiers make open profession of the same euen as Benhadad king of Aram sent his seruants girded with sackcloth about their loines 1 King 20.32 and with ropes about their heads to Ahab king of Israell to intreat for his life saying Thy seruant Benhadad saith I praie thee let me liue that he might see that he iudged himselfe woorthie of death So the children of God in times past by abstaining from meate and drinke did confesse with their mouthes and by this practise did openly shew it that they thus iudged of themselues euen that they were vnwoorthy of a crumme of bread or of a droppe of water or of any sustenance whatsoeuer and by putting on sackecloth they professed that they were vnwoorthie of any raiment euen of the least ragge and therefore also but for shame they would haue gone naked and by watching that they were vnwoorthy of sleepe or any rest and so of other things as that they were vnwoorthy of the benefite of mariage and of any comfort in it and of any pleasure or delight in any creature or ordinance of God but that it should be iust with God if hee did cause them to spend awaie their daies in heauinesse And when they put dust and ashes vpon their heads that they were vnwoorthie to breath vpon the face of the earth or to tread vpon the ground yea so vnwoorthy of life that if they had their deserts they should be as deepe vnder the ground as they were aboue it And if there had beene any thing else in the world that would haue represented and set foorth the euerlasting paines of hell eternall condemnation that would they haue borne the image of in their bodies to testify openly against themselues that they iudged themselues woorthy of that also â—hat we â—ay iustifie â—â—d and â—â—ndemne â—â—rselues And so they haue in thus doing iustified the Lord in that vengeance of his that hath beene either threatned or alreadie vpon them so farre haue they bene from murmuring or charging the Lord with anie hard dealing against them As the prophet Daniell Dan. 9.3 in the time of the captiuitie when in the end of the 70. yeeres foretold by Ieremy hee praied for deliuerance and as it is saide in the text turned his face vnto the Lord and sought by praier and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes and made confession of his sinnes and of the sinnes of all the people in his praier hee breaketh out into these words vers 7.8 O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee vnto vs open shame as appeareth this day vnto euerie man of Iudah and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem yea vnto all Israel both neere and farre off through al the countries whether thou hast driuen them because of their offences that they haue committed against thee O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our Kinges to our Princes and to our fathers because we haue sinned against thee Thus by his fasting from meate and putting ashes vpon his head hee professed that himselfe and al the people were not onely vnwoorthy of any deliuerance which he sued for but euen of life yea that they were altogether most worthy both of this captiuitie and of the shame and reproch of it and also of vtter destruction and death it selfe because of their sinnes which they had committed against the maiestie of God Ezra also in the like practise maketh the same confession Ezra 9.6 O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eies vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our head and our trespasses are growen vp vnto the heauen If we will â—eape any fruite by our â—asting we â—rust labour â—o be humâ—led thereby We see then that if we will keepe a fast acceptable vnto the Lord we must be humbled in our selues euery one before him for our sins and this outward profession that we make in abstaining from all things it must be in truth and our mindes must be answerable to our deeds for if we abstaine from the creatures of God and do not iudge our selues vnwoorthie of them if we forbeare the comfort of this life and doe not iudge our selues vnwoorthie of them also and of life it selfe all is but hypocrisie and God careth not for this outward shew Luk. 18.13 Therefore let euery man labour to come to this that he may be humbled in himselfe as the poore Publicane was when he stoode aloofe off and durst
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 Occupie till I come Luk. 16.13 Math. 25.11 It is well done good seruant and faithfull thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy masters ioy Printed by IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1604. And are to be sold at the signe of the Crowne in Pauls Churchyard by Simon Waterson To the right Reuerend father in God and right honourable Lord Doctor Iohn Iegon Lord Bishop of Norwich the continuance and daily increase of all those heauenly vertues and graces which the Apostle S. Paul requireth in a Bishop 1. Tim. 3.2 RIght reuerend father and very honourable Lord besides many other weightie reasons whereby I haue beene mooued to commend this simple present vnto your Lordships fauour which it is not necessarie nor conuenient to make all the world acquainted with it is enough that your Lordship priuately doth take knowledge of them it may be sufficient openly to professe thus much That whereas my selfe with all the rest of my brethren fellow ministers were in our countrie and in all the rest of your L. Dioces of Norfolke and Suffolke the last sommer inioyned by your letters sent to your officers to that ende according to the order set downe before in print by the authoritie of the Kings most excellent maiestie to come to the Church euery weâ—ke vpon the wednesdaies and fridaies with the rest of our people flocke committed vnto vs there and then to be occupied in praier and fasting to intreat the Lord for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the rest in this land that so his heauie hand which by the pestilence was then very sharpely and that a long time stretched out in many cheife cities and towns of this realme and namely of this your L. Dioces as Norwich and Yarmouth and some other might be called in at his appointed time Sam. 24.16 as it was in the daies of king Dauid Whereby it came to passe that both here and in many places els there was much more preaching hearing of the word of God and praying vnto him then was before and otherwise would haue beene So that by meanes of the straite charge laid vpon all by your L. letter there was much good done in this countrie at that time the fruite whereof I hope remaineth vnto this day For though the booke containing the cause and order of those fasts which was made by some of the cheife gouernours in the Church of England and was authorized by the Kings Highnesse did as I take it not onely giue leaue vnto all places publikely to meete vpon these aboue named daies to these ends but did inioyne them to it and so all men might haue taken knowledge of it and of their dutie therein from thence especially when the cause of it namely so grieuous and so vniuersall a plague was so notorious that it could not be hid from any yet it was found too true by experience in many places that vntill such time as men were further called vpon by your Lordships letter full of great and weightie reasons to perswade thereunto that neither many ministers had any care to call vpon their people to so holy and necessarie a seruice nor the people any great deuotion to come So slowe are men vnto any part of Gods seruice yea though it doth so greatly coÌ„cerne them especially to this principall part of it in fasting and praier which hath beene very long out of vse that they had neede not onely lightly to be called vpon but with many strong coards violently hailed vnto it though vnto all matters of the world they are so forward and hastie that they runne of their own accord and none can stay them Hereupon it hath come to passe that a great part of the good that this way hath beene done vnto the people of God and seruice to his maiestie is to be imputed vnto your lordships diligent care who did so timely and effectually stirre vp men vnto it especially in respect of those cheife places others vnder your Lordships iurisdiction which then were greatly subiect vnto this visitation as well as other parts of this land neither are they all of them yet free from it Therefore these beeing part of my labours at that time they are in some sort due vnto your Lordship by whose means I receiued incouragement thereunto as others did to the like And I haue presumed to present them vnto your Lordship that by them you may see and by one may iudge of the rest how readie we are and shall be to yeild obedience to all your L. godly proceedings promising for my selfe and presuming of the rest that when we shall be likewise commanded which we expect and hope for in time to keepe solemne dayes of thanksgiuing for the mitigating of this plague in so great measure in the most places and for the cleane taking of it away in many we will be by the grace of God as ready to performe that part of seruice as we haue beene forward vnto this And in the meane season according to our bounden duty we will indeauour not only priuatly to be thankfull vnto God but vpon all such daies as we haue our publike assemblies to doe it in some part and to call vpon our people to be thankfull to God with vs both in hart words and life least the Lord for our vnthankfulnes doe returne vpon vs with the same or some other great punishment of his Which we haue so much the more cause to feare vnles we thus seeke to preuent it because the late memory of so great a worke both of iustice in sending the plague and of mercy in taking it away is not so fresh effectuall with all men nay with very few as it should but they like to vngratious children so soone forget the rodd as it is off their back And seeing by these your Lordship may take knowledge that by your godly incitation many were made more painfull in their callings at the least for that time then otherwise they would have beene whereby also God was more honoured and the people more instructed your Lordship will according to that high place wherein God hath placed you especially to that end take all opportunities by word and writing still to incite all men to be zealous and feruent in the worke of the ministery by giuing all good
to fast and that by vertue of that coÌ„mandement giuen to them as well as they were For if we consider the end and see the equitie and reason of it we shall finde that it bindes vs as much as them and so we hauing the same cause among vs which mooued the Lord to inioine them this practise must thinke that we haue the same commandement also of fasting thogh not at that time and yeerely yet at some time in a yeere at the least in many yeeres For it being ordained to this end that they being humbled for their sinnes priuate and publike and there testifying their humiliation the wrath of God against them either threatned iustly in the lawe or vpon them alreadie or appearing imminent might be turned away and so they reconciled vnto God and spared we haue the same cause to bee humbled manie waies especially at this present and so now God commandeth vs to vse it And first of all in respect of our great vnwoorthinesse of Gods manifold benefits for looke to rhem that be publike past and present as the long and happie and peaceable raigne of our late soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie To be humbled both iâ— respect of thâ— death of ouâ— late Queen Elizabeth with the Gospell and freedome from our enemies and other plagues and then consider on the other side the little fruit of them the great vnthankfulnesse for them nay abuse for them and of Gods patience in them and we shall see great cause of humilitie and of earnest seeking to God for the continuance of them by fasting and praier especially if we well way the late great losse of ours in the death of her Maiestie For if Dauid bad the people of his time mourne for the death of Saul their King because they enioyed manie great benefits vnder his gouernment saying â— Sam. 1.4 Ye daughters of Israel weepe for Saul which clothed you in scarlet and with pleasures and hanged ornaments of golde vpon your apparell then we much more haue cause to lament for her death by whose life we enioyed and that so long so many inestimable benefits both for soule and bodie for profit and for pleasure and truely it is to be feared that her death is too lightly passed away of the most The Lord indeed in much mercy hath most happily supplied it beyond all our expectation but yet that must not be forgotten and the more gratiously and speedily he hath supplied it and yet we vnwoorthy of the former the more cause haue wee to be humbled For when many great benefits come heaped vp one after another and no measure of true thankfulnesse and obedience answerable vnto it there must needs come some great punishment afterwards if it be not preuented And so the sight and consideration of these great benefits thus continued with the little or no fruit at all of them should humble vs and so driue vs to shew it in fasting and prayer that God might forgiue vs and so still continue his benefts Besides this if they vpon this day had cause to bee humbled for their sinnes And in respect of our sinnes and for the punishment of them either present or imminent then if our sinnes be as great and many or more than theirs because we haue more and greater benefits for his Word in the ministery of the Gospel is more cleerely come to vs and this time hath many things which the time of the Law had not then seeing to whom much is giuen â—uke 12.48 of them much is required we hauing receiued so much in comparison of them and done so little for it haue more cause to be humbled than they and so are bound by vertue of this law to holde some dayes of humiliation as well as they though not that yeerely day especially if we consider the punishment not onely to be feared but alreadie vpon vs. For though God hath giuen vs a most gratious and worthy Prince yet see how there hath beene feare of losing him by the desperate attempts of his traiterous enemies whom thogh in their plot it hath pleased God to disapoint and we hope and pray that he alwayes so will yet he hath suffered them somwhat to breake out that all might take knowledge of them to be humbled for their sinnes the cause of them For he is not King for himselfe but for vs in his preseruation consisteth all our good in his death the losse of vs all especially when they seeke also to put out his whole race and to bring in some Popish Spanish pretended heire then consider the losse of Religion and the more than hazzard yea vtter ouerthrow of our peace and all that we haue we should come vnder the popish and Spanish yoke either of which were intolerable as our forefathers haue learned by too lamentable experience therefore in respect of this also we haue cause to be humbled and so to fast both to bring vs to it and outwardly to declare it Moreouer if we consider the great sicknes and mortality that raigneth hath done a long time in most of the chiefe places in the land And this present pestilence that is in many parts of this land as in London where haue died 2000. this last weeke and more and truly this is much considering how many haue remooued out of this citie and how many haue died before so that it is reported that there are certaine hundred houses standing emptie besides in most of the villages about London and in other cities and great townes as in Norwich and in manie coast townes and other in Norfolke and Suffolke as Yarmouth Laystaffe Ipswich c. that I speake not of those which are in other shires as Colchester Cambridge Newmarket and many more that we know not If there were nothing but this there were great cause to be humbled for so manifest a token of Gods wrath so apparently and so vniuersally and so long shewed And this mooued the Kings Maiestie of his Princely care that he hath of all his subiects to set downe this godly order of weekely fasting For concerning our selues though by the free mercy of God it be not vpon vs yet â—om 12.5.16 yet these are our brethren and therefore as the Apostle saith we should be of like affectioÌ„ one towards another Luk. 13 and so ready to weepe with them that weepe Besides as our Sauiour Christ saith of them vpon whom the tower of Siloam fell slew them that they were not the greatest sinners aboue all that dwelt in Ierusalem so must wee say of these men and women that haue died of the plague and of those places where it hath beene and is so heauie but except we amend we shall all likewise perish therefore wee in them as in a glasse are to see what we haue deserued and so for our owne selues to be humbled also considering that this punishment of God vpon them for their sinnes deserued also by
meate that was remaining before then to fill themselues with al dainties of meat and drinke in any other kinde whatsoeuer whereas we haue seene that both the nature of the word Fasting and also the practise of the best in holy Scripture doth require to eate nothing but wholly to absteine Besides this abstinence from meate and drinke which is first and cheefe In the day of fast we ought to abridge our selues of some part of our sleepe and from whence the whole action is denominated there ought to be some forbearing at that time of sleepe also for the said end euen for the humbling of the bodie that we wanting something of that also there might not onely be a proportion and an agreement betweene meate and sleepe but the body this way also might somewhat be cast downe for want of naturall rest So that though we should neuer play the sluggards and delight in sleeping which Solomon greatly condemneth in many places of the Prouerbs Pro. 6.6 24.23 but take our rest as well as our meat moderately soberly yet at that time we should deny to our selues som part of our ordinary sleepe in the euening or morning or both and also at noone and now though this be a time of the yeere wherein men vse to take there rest at noone yet on the fasting day they should abstaine from it both for the humbling of their bodies and also that they might redeeme that time bestowing it in some godly exercises Thus the prophet Ioel biddes the Priests lie all night in sackcloth Ioel 1.13 and so sheweth that they should continue their fast at least som part of the night euen as it is said of Dauid 2. Sam. 12.16 that when he fasted he lay all night vpon the earth And also as Queene Hester willed the Iewes to fast for her three daies and three nights Hest 4.16 So that we may plainely see that this exercise doth not onely take vp the day that we might abstain from sleepe then but also some part of the night at the least And thus we begin ouer night to doe some thing as to thinke vpon Gods hand and to praie and so againe betimes in the morning and if we doe not or cannot come to this perfection that other of Gods seruants haue come vnto in their great humiliations yet seeing they are written for our instruction let vs come as neere them as we can and seeing men will breake their sleepe earely and late for the world let them doe it for the seruice of God much more And the rather that we might be willing to abridge our selues not onely of sleepe but of meat What liberty we haue of meate and drinke and sleepe in cases of necessitie let vs farther consider that in this day of humiliation wherein this abstinence from these things is required all men and women are not so necessarily tied vnto them but that if there be any who by reason of any defect or infirmitie of bodie or age yoong or old are not able to performe it after this strict maner that then euen by the lawe of God they haue libertie to vse so much in both these kindes as may suffice for their health Math. 12.1 For as Christ Iesus excuseth his disciples in the case of necessity for plucking the eares of corne and eating when they were hungrie and faint that thereby they might be more fit to follow him and attend vpon his seruice vers 5. and as Dauid also is there excused for eating the Shew-bread which by the generall rule was onely for the Priests So we though by the general law of fasting are forbidden at that time to abstaine from all meate and drinke yet in cases of necessitie when by reason of some thing in our bodies so to do would hinder vs and make vs more vnfit for the seruice of God and to take a little doth further vs and make vs more fit for it if by eating or drinking some thing we are so indeed then in so doing haue wee not onely not brokeÌ„ the fast but therby attained vnto the principal end of it And again as rest vpon the Sabbath is necessarily required yet in times of necessitie labour is not onely permitted but also commanded 1. King 19.6 and thus Helias fleeing 40. daies together for the safegard of his life from the cruell persecution of Iesabell his trauell vpon those Sabbaths was no breach of the law so is not eating a little of necessitie anie breach of fasting though it seeme to be against the nature of it But heerein we must take heed that wee abuse not Gods liberalitie We must take heed that we abuse not this liberty and make it a cloake to our lustes that vnder this colour and pretence of our infirmities we eate and drinke and feed our selues when there is no need For as it were a great fault to worke or trauell vpon the Sabbath day when no necessitie did compell vs because if there be need God hath not restrained vs so in the day of fast to eate when we haue no need because when there is God hath giuen vs libertie to doe it Seeing the Lord dealeth so mercifully with vs all that euen in the times wherein he most restraineth vs he giueth so great libertie to all that need we must needs be so much the more vnthankefull vnto him for it if we will not yeeld obedience to this ordinance of his that is that all they which for their yeeres health and strength are able to absteine shoulde vpon the fasting daies refuse all kinde of meat vntil the euening and abridge themselues also of some part of their sleepe 〈◊〉 fasting â—ur appaâ—ell must â—e answerale to that ction The third thing wherein this outward exercise doth consist is that we abridge our selues also somewhat of our apparell for in the vsing or refusing of that as well as of any of the former the bodie may be and is easier humbled or puft vp The King of Nineue in that fast of his did not onely command that man and beast should put on sackcloth Ion. 3.5.6 but himselfe also arose from his throne place of estate and laid off his robe and princely apparell from him and couered himselfe with sackecloth and sate in ashes And the prophet Ioel willing the people of his time to fast and praie Ioel. 1.13 and shewing them the right maner of it bids them lie in sackcloth and wee oftentimes reade of sackcloth to haue beene vsed in the times of publike and priuate fasting We then though we be not tied to this kinde of weed yet we must obserue the equitie of it which is to abstaine from that costly apparell and trimming vp of our selues which might puffe vp the body with pride and put on that rather so farre as it standeth with decencie and comelinesse which might humble it and so then to weare our woorst clothes rather then
to an other end euen to the true humbling of vs before God for our sins which if we do not attaine vnto by these meanes it is not onely not accepted but further prouoketh the wrath of God For God is a spirit and will be so worshiped and though men iudge of vs after the outward appearance yet God looketh to the heart and when this outward abstinence hath beene vsed without these inward graces of humilitie and such like the Prophets haue iustly found fault with them and namely the Prophet Esaie Esai 58.3 Wherefore haue we fasted saie they thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not Behold in the day of your fast you will seeke your owne will and require all your debtes Behold yee fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse yee shal not fast as yee doe to daie is it such a fast that I haue chosen Without thâ— which it is nothing woorth that a man should afflict his soule for a day and to bow downe his head as a bul-rush and to lie downe in sackcloth and ashes wilt thou cal this a fasting or acceptable day vnto the Lord and so foorth as it followeth at large in that place Where the hypocrites complaine that they had fasted and had that way punished their bodies greatly and God regarded it not but he answereth that if they were neuer so weake with fasting euen like a bul-rush that can not hold vp the head against the winde yet because they were as cruell and hard-hearted to their brethren as full of contention as before and had not profited to the inward vertues of humilitie and contrition of heart which was the principall end of it therefore he did not accept of it And indeed if we content our selues with this outward abstinence the very brute beasts and cattell euen the bullocks and sheepe at Nineue did keepe as good a fast as we â—ona 3.7 for they were couered with sackcloth and did neither feed nor drinke water Therefore we see what must make all our fasting acceptable vnto God euen that we be furthered by them in al such graces of his spirit in our soules and consciences as the Lord in such cases requireth For as in the Sabbath bodily rest is first commanded yet the sanctifying of the day of rest in the holy worship of God is chiefe As the rest of the Sabbath is to be referred vnto the sanctification of the day and that whereunto the other is referred and without the which the other is nothing worth els they that sleepe all day or the cattell that are not wrought might keepe as good a Sabbath as we So in the day of fast though abstinence from meat be first required yet in it selfe such bodily exercise profiteth little as the Apostle saith but is vsed to another end Therfore as if we wil keepe that fourth commandement we must so rest that hauing our minds bodies drawn froÌ„ all worldly things we might in both be wholly occupied in gods seruice so if we will celebrate a fast vnto the Lord we must so vse the outward ceremony as thereby we might be furthered in the inward vertues of the mind We are then to consider what they be for in them resteth the second part of fasting The second part of fasting consisteth in the inward grace of the mâ—nde for as it was sayd before the whole action consisteth in two things the one outward concerning the body whereof we haue hitherto spoken the other inward apperteining to the soule which now remaineth to be intreated of And that is all those inward vertues of the minde and graces of the spirit which this way the Lord would haue vs furthered in all which are so much the more excellent and therefore the more diligently to be laboured after than the other by how much the soule is better than the body and how much it is better to approoue our selues and our doings vnto the Lord as we shall do in the one then vnto men as we may doe in the other These are of two sorts Heere then we are to consider what these inward vertues be whereto by this outward abstinence we should labour to be furthered which though they be many yet for breuitie and memories sake we will principally consider of two The first is the true humbling and casting downe of ourselues before the high Maiestie of God with sorrow and griefe of heart for all our sinnes in the conscience and feeling of them and of the miserie due vnto vs for the same The second is the assurance and good hope that we should haue through the free mercy of God in his gratious promises of the pardon and forgiuenesse of euery one of them for Christ Iesus his sake vpon our true repentance and vnfained turning from them and so that we being thus reconciled vnto God shall obtaine the things that we stand in need of and by earnest prayer alwayes ioyned vnto fasting wee make sute vnto him for whether it be the turning away or remouing from vs some grieuous iudgement and punishment of his or the bestowing or continuing of some great blessing of his vpon vs or vpon others And these two Esra 8.21 as they be chiefe and principall so they are both of them mentioned in that fast that Ezra kept with the rest of his companie As appeareth in the fast of Ezra and his companie And there at the riuer by Athana I proclaimed a fast that we might humble our selues before our God and seeke of him a right way for vs and for our children for all our substance for I was ashamed to require of the king an armie and horse-men to helpe vs against the enemie in the way because we had spoken to the king saying the hand of our God is vpon al them that seeke him in goodnesse but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him So we fasted besought our God for this and he was intreated of vs. Where we see how he in his returne from Babylon to Ierusalem after the captiuity with many other at such a place proclaimed a fast to these ends both that they might humble themselues before God for their sinnes which were the cause of their captiuitie and might now hinder them from such blessings as they stood in need of and that they might by praier seeke earnestly vnto God with hope that he would direct and blesse them in the waie and defend them from their enimies So in their obedience they did aime at these two inward vertues first â—o bee thoroughly humbled for their sinnes and then by earnest praier to seeke to God with hope that hee would giue them the thing that then they stood in need of euen defence from their enimies in the way and a prosperous iourney to Ierusalem And so in this practise of theirs as in a glasse we most cleerely
see whereunto this fast of ours must be referred I meane the outward abstinence and what we must specially labour after in it namely that wee may be humbled before God for all our sinnes which haue so greatly prouoked the wrath of God that it may easily be seene of all and that we seeke to him by feruent praier for the turning away of his heauie hand that hath a long time beene most greeuously vpon many parts of this lande if we seeke not after these and by this abstinence finde our selues furthered in them our fasting is nothing woorth because wee come not vnto the chiefe part of it nor vnto the marrow and substance of it but content our selues with the shell and as it were the bare shadow fo it For as it is said in the common prouerbe and as it is true in all other things as good neuer a whit as neuer the better so in this in like maner The first vertue is true humility and what that is To speake therefore in order first of the humbling and casting downe of our selues this humilitie of minde is a vile esteeming and base iudgeing or thinking of our selues before God and men in respect of our innumerable great sinnes wherewith we haue defiled our selues and offended God and prouoked his heauy wrath and displeasure against vs whereby it commeth to passe that wee are displeased with our selues and offended and grieued at our selues yea are as it were at vtter defiance with our selues because of our sinnes and the curse of God and all miserie due to vs for the same And this humilitie is contrarie to that pride and hautinesse of minde Contrary to pride which is in many whereby they thinke too highly of themselues and are puft vp and full of selfe loue iudgeing better of themselues then there is cause being also thereby ready to iustify themselues before God and men like vnto that proud Pharisie that Christ speaketh of in the Gospell who thus vaunteth of himselfe before God through hypocrisie and want of due examination of himselfe and also despised the Publicane who praied by him saying I thanke thee O God Luk. 18.11 that I am not as other men extortioner vniust adulterer or euen as this Publicane whereas the other standing a farre of giueth many tokens of their humility for he would not lift vp so much as his eies to heauen but smot his breast and saide O God be mercifull to me a sinner This humbling of our soules is and must be answerable to the afflicting of our bodies And this casting downe of our selues in our owne iudgement as it is required so it is very fit and answerable to the outward exercise of fasting for therefore doe we absteine from the outward comfort and maintenance of this life for a time that wee might haue a quicker feeling of our vnwoorthinesse namely that for our sinnes we are vnworthy of all of them and of any comfort by them yea of life it selfe and thus we bring downe the bodie that the minde might bee brought downe and we afflict the bodie that the deserued death of soule and body might be the better knowen and felt of vs. We therefore abstaine from all pleasures and delights thereof lawful in themselues that thorough conscience of our sinnes and the deserued wrath of God for them not onely present but that that may come heereafter we might be drawen to a greater sorrow which inward affliction and griefe of the soule if it be seuered from the other it is as a dead carkasse without a soule yea a shadow without a bodie that is it is nothing woorth For this sorowing and mourning is so vnseparablie proper vnto the time of fasting and so fitly answereth to the outward ceremonie of it that the thing it selfe is thus noted out by Christ himselfe Math. 9 1â— Can the children of the mariage chamber mourne as long as the Bridegroome is with them Therefore vnto fastinâ— is alwaies ioined mourning but the daies will come when the Bridegroome shall be taken from them and then shall they fast Where Christ defending his disciples that they did not then fast speakes of fasting as of a time of mourning for in the one place hee saith Fast and in the other Mourne Luk. 5.34.35 to shew what we must come vnto in the day of fast euen to mourne And this hath also beene the practise of the seruants of God that in the daies of fasting they haue thus cast downe themselues and haue not onely inwardly sorowed but haue outwardly testified the same by weeping as indeed great sorow many times causeth teares For so is it said of Dauid when tidings was brought him of the death of Saul that he sorowed and wept and fasted both himselfe and his company 1. Sam. 1.12 Then Dauid tooke holde on his clothes and rent them and likewise al the men that were with him and they mourned and wept and fasted vntill euen for Saule and for Ionathan his sonne and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel because they were slaine with the sword Heere there fasting was ioined with mourning and weeping So likewise did all the people of Israel when they were twise ouerthrowne by the Beniamites they sorowed and wept and fasted vnto the euening as it is said in â—â—e book of the Iudges Then all the children of Israell went vp Iudg. 20. â— and all the people also came vp vnto the house of God and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day vnto the euening offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And againe in the daies of Samuel when they were oppressed by the Philistims he exhorteth them to confesse their sinnes to God and leaue them and seeke vnto God that they might find mercy with him and they then fasted and praied and wept so aboundantly that it is saide they drew out whole buckets of water out of their eies For Samuel 1. Sam. 7 said Gather all Israel together to Mizpah and I will pray for you vnto the Lord and they gathered together to Mizpah and drew water and poâ—red it out before the Lord and fasted the same day said there We haue sinned against the Lord. Thus in this fast of theirs also they confessed their sinnes and sorowed woonderfully as appeared by the plenty of teares And to bee short this is that which the Prophet Ioel speaketh of and exhorteth them vnto â—â—el 2.17 as a thing necessarie Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lorde weepe betweene the porch and the altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord wheÌ„ as he had said in the verses vers 13. going before Thus saith the Lord Turne you vnto me with all your hart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rent your hearts and not your clothes So that he not only speaketh of fasting as that wherunto the Lord did then cal
other thing in him to recompence anie or al of these losses and so his heart is not yet humbled But when he seeth how many waies he standeth guiltie before God and what a great account hee hath to giue vnto him that hee seeth his sinnes to be more in number then the heires of his head or the sandes of the sea and then how many punishments and plagues in this world and in the world to come are dew to him in soule and body for euer and euer according to the manifold curses of the law of God and his immutable iustice contained in them this shall bee able to make him cast away all his pride conceit in himselfe or in any thing else and to thinke of himselfe as he is indeed in himselfe to bee a most vile creature and so to crie out of himselfe as the Apostle doth â—om 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Now the holie spirit of God worketh this in vs by the true vnderstanding and right vse of the lawe of God set downe in the tenne Commandements We are brought to the sight oâ— our sinnes by the true vnderstanding and right vse of the law and also of the blessings promised to those that keepe the law and the curses denounced against them that breake it which are to this end annexed to the same law According to which lawe if men not partiallie examine themselues they shall see both how many duties they haue left vndone and also how manie sinnes they haue committed against God men For that is as a cleere glasse to let vs see the least spot or blemish in our face that is the least sinne committed in our life Psal 119.105 and as a light vnto our pathes and a lanterne to our feete to let vs see how one thing differeth from another good from euill euen as the difference of colours is easily discerned when a light commeth in which was not before and to be short it is a rule to shew what is crooked and what is straight that is what is agreeable vnto or what differeth from the will of God which is the perfect rule of all righteousnesse And we are â—rther humâ—led by considering the â—romises and â—urses anâ—exed to the â—aw Then if wee come to the promises of the law we shall see howe manie good things which God of his meere mercy had promised and others haue inioied we haue lost through our own default both for soule and bodie for our selues and ours for this life also and for the life to come and so in what an vnhappie estate we are in in our selues And though this be verie much to humble a man to thinke thus much good haue I wilfully lost yet if we further coÌ„sider the curses not onely dispersed in the whole Scripture but specially set down at large Deut. 28. for sin to to be brought vpon vs in soule and bodie and otherwise as incurable sicknesses diseases terror feare of minde scarcitie and famine the sword and such like in this worlde besides eternall destruction of soule and bodie in hell fire after this life these will let vs see our miserie much more that so we might feele acknowledge what vile wretched creatures we be men and women that haue iustly brought vpon our selues so great calamity We are then for the better humbling of our selues before God as at other times so especiallie in the day of fasting to giue our selues to the serious and earnest meditation of these things namely of the law of God and that in euery commandement and applie it to our conscience and the appurtenances also of the same law that is the promises made to the obedient and the punishments threatned to the disobedient and pray to God for his good spirit that it might worke vpon vs euen vpon our hearts that by this meanes wee might come to that measure of humilitie that is meet for vs so great sinners to come vnto and that he would cast vs downe vnder his holie hande euen so low as his owne children should be for want of which our hearts are hardened though our estaâ—e be so desperate and forlorne as at all other times so euen in the day of fasting wherein greatest humiliation is required And besides all this to further vs in this most excellent vertue of humiliation which in time will lift vs vp as high as wee were cast downe before according to the Prouerbe of Solomon Pro. 15.32 Especiallie how the Lord from time to time hath verified the same Before glory goeth humilitie we must also consider the execution of these iudgements vpon men from time to time that we might know God to be iust and will assuredly doe as he hath saide and that he hath not threatned in vaine as many men doe imagine that so wee might feare and tremble when wee shall see as it were others beaten for the like sinnes before our faces And these iudgements wee must well weigh both generally brought vpon whole nations and countries Gen. 6. as how hee spared not the olde world when all flesh had corrupted their waies but brought an vniuersall deluge vpon it and how hee ouerthrew Sodom and Gomorrha Gen. 19. and the rest of the cities for their filthinesse yea how he spared not the ten tribes of Israel 2. King 17. 2. King 24. 25. Lam. 1.3 nor Iudah it selfe but caried them both captiues out of their owne country for their idolatrie other sinnes And also his iudgements particularly broght vpon priuate men Genes 25.33 27.33 Heb. 12.16.17 Gen. 21.10 Gal. 4.29 as how Esau was cast off from Gods people for his profannesse how Ismael was put out of his fathers house and so out of the Church of God for his scorning and mocking wherewith hee persecuted his brother 2. Sam. 18.9 and how Absolon was hanged between heauen and earth by the haire of his head for rebelling against his father Hest 7.8.9 how Haman was hanged vp vpon an high gibbet for his pride against men 1. King 22.38 and king Herod eaten vp with vermine for his intollerable pride against God and men 2 King 9.35 how Ahab and Iesabell were slaine for their oppression of Naboth so that the dogs did licke the bloud of the one 2. Sam. 12.10.11 and deuour the carkase of the other yea how Dauid was grieuously punished for his adulterie and wrong done to Vriah 1. Cor. 10.8 and 23000. in one day destroied for their filthie fornication and to conclude how the Lord from time to time in all ages and places hath not spared men in their sinnes that so we might not onely see in them what wee haue deserued but how he is readie to punish also for there is no respect of persons with him And not onely vpon the wicked but vpon his owne children And in all these wee must
most earnestly to seeke to God for his pardon and for the bestowing of all vpon vs againe and by howe much the more wee doe so and professe that in our selues by reason of our sinnes we are vnwoorthy of any thing in the world by so much the more let vs hope from the mercy and promises of God and seeke accordingly that in Christ Iesus Heb. 1.2 Rom. 8.1 whom hee hath made heire of all things we may be founde woorthie of all and fellow heires of them with him as the Apostle speaketh And euen as a man if he were condemned to death would sue earnestly for his pardon especially if hee were lead from the iudge to the place of execution and were also vpon the ladder and had the rope about his necke and the neerer he were to death and had the verie badges and tokens of it vpon him the more earnest suter wold he be for his pardon if hee coulde but conceaue that there were any hope of it So we the more that by this holie exercise of fasting we see and professe that we are woorthy of all Gods punishments and plagues yea of eternal death and condemnation it selfe by so much the more earnestlie wee must praie that God would forgiue vs our sinnes and spare vs. Therefore in the daies of fasting there must be a speciall kinde of striuing with God in praier and wee must as it were wrestle with him therein and neuer giue him ouer or suffer him to haue rest vntil he haue sent vs away with some blessing Euen as it is saide of the holy patriarke Iacob â—e must rastâ—e and riue w th â—nd in our â—aiers that in his returne homeward from Laban as he did praie vnto God most feruently so all night long he wrestled with an angell in the shape of a man that is â—en 32.26 with God himselfe so appearing vnto him and hee held out with him in wrestling euen vnto the morning and then he said vnto him let me goe for the morning appeareth vnto whom he answered I will not let thee goe except thou blesse me and so he held him fast stil then he bestowed vpon him this great blessing by changing his name from Iacob to Israel that because hee had power and had preuailed with God hee should preuaile with men much more So that vision of the angell wrestling with him and the change of his name tended both to one end namely to assure him that God had heard his praier which hee made before and would deliuer him out of the hand of Esau Gen. 32.11 whom he feared and therefore whereas hee was called at his birth Iaacob that is one that holdeth by the heele and so ready to ouerthrow him for thus was he borne holding his brother Esau by the heele Gen. 25.26 in token that in time hee should by the power of God preuaile against him and so also against all his enimies now he is called Israel that is Gen. 32.28 a prince of the strong God because as the interpretation is giuen in the text he had power with God and shoulde preuaile with men that is he had preuailed with God in his praier as was declared vnto him in the vision of wrestling and should preuaile against Esau and al other his enimies but how he did and should heereafter preuaile with God and obtaine all things of him the vision did shew namely that hee praied so feruently and so continually that he did not giue ouer vntil he had some assurance from the Lord by his holie spirit that he had heard him and would defend blesse him according vnto his own desire Gen. 32.9 the Lords promise Thus must wee also striue with the Lord in our praiers as the Apostle speaketh to the Romanes Rom. 15.30 and requireth of them that they would striue with him by praier to God for him and we must put all our strength to it as Iacob did when he wrestled with the angel And to see it againe more cleerly in the same comparison As a man that wrestleth for the best game will put all his might and skill to it and wil not giue ouer as long as he hath anie thing in himselfe that he might preuaile so must we in our praiers bee so earnest importunate with the Lord that we rise not vp from praier or depart away from him vntill hee haue blessed vs and the harder that we find it to obtaine anie thing because of our sinnes the more earnestly must wee striue in praier for it Therefore now in thee daies of fasting let vs stirre vp our selues vnto praier and striue against all vnfitnesse that might hinder vs and as for other things so that this great mortalitie might haue an end without which feruencie of praier all our fasting is nothing woorth Seeing then that feruencie and continuance in praier is so proper vnto the time of fasting as we haue heard and it is specially vndertaken to that end The papists had no speciall praier vpon their fasting daies we may see by this also how farre the church of Rome al Papists are from the true fast prescribed in Gods word practised of this seruants thogh they would be thought to be the onely men in the world that fast and pray For vpon the Fridaies and other fasting daies there was no speciall time appointed as also not in Lent appointed for praier neither did manie of them that professed fasting come to the Church at all to that end and if some of them did praie vpon their Saints eeuen at night yet many did not which were bound to the fast and they that did all the rest of the daie were without praier and vpon those daies they went about their businesse as at all other times especially vnto noone or vnto eeuen-song as they called it Whereas the whole day of fast is altogither of the nature of the Sabbath both for resting from worke also for sanctifying of the time and therefore vpon those daies they had holy conuocations and assemblies for the worde and praier as in the booke of Leuiticus â—eu 1.6 31. â—eu 23.27 the yeerely day of fast for the Iewes is called a Sabbath of rest and besides it is further added therein you shall haue an holie conuocation and yee shall doe no worke Therefore when these Catholikes falsely so called did rest in the bare ceremonie of fasting and did not giue themselues that daie to praier more then at other times for the most part they neglected that that was principall in it and whereunto it should be referred And so we see what the Lord requireth of vs al at this present and to what end we abstaine euen that we hauing nothing to hinder vs inwardly nor outwardly in our bodies to presse vs downe to the earth our mindes might be lifted vp in all feruencie of praier vnto our heauenly father in the mediation of our Lord and Sauiour so
much the more To this end we must giue ourselues as much as we can to a deepe and serious meditation of that that is the cause of our fast The serioâ—â— consideratâ— of our present estate will increâ—â—â—â— feruencie 〈◊〉 praier whether it bee anie great punishment of God already vpoÌ„ vs or imminent and hanging ouer our head and ready shortly to befall vs or it be some grace and blessing of God that we want or we are afraid to loose that thereby we might see and feele in what a wofull and miserable case wee are in or should be in respect of that if the Lord should not heare vs and be mercifull vnto vs. As we see how the people of Nineue hearing that their destructioÌ„ was threatned against them by the Lords prophet â—ona 3.5 and that within a short time euen fortie daies they beleeued God as it is saide in that storie that is they were perswaded that for their sinnes they had deserued it also that God had sent him to warne them of it they therefore perceauing themselues to be in such a wofull case the king proclaimed a fast and willed euerie man to crie mightely vnto God that is to praie earnestly vnto him to forgiue them and spare them so that they did not onely praie thus feruently vnto God but the consideration of their estate moued them vnto it which if by beleeuing the prophet they had not acknowledged they could not haue come vnto it in this acceptable measure Hest 3.13 So in the daies of Hester when Haman had obtained a decree from the king and it was sealed with his ring and the letters were sent by postes into all the kinges prouinces The tenor whereof was to roote out to kill and to destroy all the Iewes Hest 4.3 both yoonge and old children and women in one day in euerie prouince and place whether the kings charge and his commission came there was great sorrow among the Iewes and fasting and weeping and mourning and many lay in sackecloth and ashes and three daies and three nights they gaue themselues to fasting and praier so that the knowledge of this estate of theirs that they came vnto by hearing of the kings commission granted out against them did driue them to this great sorrow for it appearing in weeping and mourning and it so made them to praie thus earnestly and so long euen three daies three nights togither which they would not nor could haue done if they had not by taking knowledge of the kings letters perceaued their estate to bee so desperate and so forlorne as indeed it was Likewise in the time of the Iudges when the tribe of Beniamin had twise ouerthrowne the rest of the children of Israel Iudg. 20.26 and had in two set battels slaine 40000. of them they seeing themselues by the slaughter of so manie greatly weakened fell a weeping before the Lord and fasted that day vnto euening and asked counsell of the Lord not onely by Vrim and Thummim but by feruent praier to shew them what they shoulde doe These then seeing themselues in so ill a case that many of their brethren were slaine alreadie or that they and themselues were like to bee slaine thought it their bound duty to seeke vnto God earnestly to turne that destruction away and to staie his heauie hand and so he did So must we also doe at this present The lamentable estate of many in respect of this pestilence may moue vs vnto feruent prayer that we might come to this earnestnes of prayer spoken of and necessarily required in such times of fasting wee must I say well weigh and consider of the great calamitie and miserie that is among vs and in what a pitifull case many of our deare brethren are and haue beene a long time without any intermission how they die daylie and weekly in the chiefe cities and townes of the land both in these parts and other countreis as in Norwich aboue an hundred a weeke and in London aboue three thousand weekely and thus it hath beene many weeks together and it spreadeth euery where in small villages and threatens euery where and none can tell almost in what place long to be free During which time of contagion and pestilence it hath come to passe that many haue had their louing wiues pulled out of their bosoms some their prouident husbands taken from them others haue lost their pareÌ„ts the stay of their liues others are left childlesse some haue neither brother nor sister left master nor seruant friend kinsefolke nor neighbour yea euen the whole house and familie is swept cleane away so that there is nothing but weeping mourning sighing and sobbing wailing and wringing of hands spending away their time in sorow without taste in any meat or comfort in sleepe or any thing els looking themselues euery houre when they should be smitten with the same hand of God so follow to the graue them that haue lately gone before theÌ„ we I say must wisely consider of these things that seeing nothing before our eyes in these times of so great desolation but the vntimely death and destruction of our deare brethren kindred and friends yea of our selues shortly if God be not mercifull vnto vs might mooue vs to pray earnestly vnto God both for our selues and for them and truely if we could so consider of these things as we ought it might mooue vs in greater humilitie before God and compassion toward our brethren to powre out not only at this present but night and day heereafter most ardent praiers supplications vnto the Lord that in his blessed time hee would put an happie end to so great destruction and that it might be sufficient vnto his Fatherly goodnesse that he hath thus farre proceeded in iudgement against vs and against them alreadie I say the deepe consideration inward feeling of this common miserie would make vs to be more often feruent in prayer vnto God and not onely thus publikely but priuately also But I can not tell how it commeth to passe the more is the pitie through the great hardnesse of mens hearts As the feeling of all our wants will make vs earnest to haue theÌ„ supplied that many of vs thinke little of it or not so much as they should because it is so far from them yet let them know assuredly that it may soone come neerer God knoweth how soone and in the meane season if they will not pitie others and pray for them none shall pitie and pray for them when they shal be in the like case So then as they that are in great want of food and see that they haue nothing at home bread nor meat nor money to buy any thing with are driuen to seeke abroad for themselues for their children besides they will be importunate where they come and haue no nay their necessitie is so great that it compels them vnto it euen sometimes to goe
kill them all both yoong and old children and women in one daie Then all the Iewes at the aduise and commandement of Queene Hester Hest 4.16.17 did fast and praie vnto God three daies and three nights to intreat the Lord that she might find fauour with the King that this wicked deuise might bee frustrate and disanulled whereby it came to passe that the Lord in whose hands are the hearts of all men to turne euen as the riuers of waters and who hath saide that when a mans waies doe please the Lord Pro. 16.7 hee will make his enimies his friends did so change the Kings heart I say that they had thereby not onely to defend themselues and to gather themselues togither and to stand for their liues but also to roote out and to destroy all the power of the people Hest 8.11 and of the prouince that vexed them both children and women and to spoile their goods And by this meaâ—es the Iewes â—â—d ouerthrow the diuelish praâ—tise of proud Haman and so also they did and God blessed them therein yea and Haman the Iewes great aduersarie was hanged vpon the high gibbet which hee had prepared for Mordecay and after that tenne of his sonnes also were hanged and Mordecay and all the Iewes were greatly aduanced and honored Hest 9.28 and the daies of weeping and fasting were turned into great reioicing and feasting yeerely Thus we see how wonderfully God did blesse them being so humbled in fasting and praier before and what great things they obtained thereby as not onelie the sauing of their liues goods thereby but the vtter ruine and ouerthrow of their most deadly and professed enimies and therefore no doubt if wee could humble our selues this way and praie earnestly as they did if we were as neere deathes doore as they were and had receaued euen the sentence of death in our selues as they had 2. Cor. 1.9 it were possible for vs to escape it and to finde mercie with the Lord as they haue done before vs and that not onely for our selues but for our brethren as they did For as hee hath promised that if we turne vnto him vnfainedly in the middest of destruction he will leaue a blessing behinde him for vs as was said before out of Ioel Ioel. 2.14 so heere in this people wee see the truth and accomplishment of it Besides wee may consider of that woorthy example of Gods mercy this way shewed vpon those that humbled themselues by fasting and praier in the daies of Iehoshaphat that good King of Iudah as it is set downe in the second booke of the Chronicles 2. Chr. 20.2 where it is saide that the Ammonites the Moabites and the people of mount Seir came foorth to battle against him and hee fearing the danger that might befall him and his people proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah and praied earnestly to God for himselfe and for them which praier of his is there set downe And before they had ended their praier the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iahaziel a Leuite in the middest of the congregation who by the spirit of prophesie did foretell the victorie saying 2. Chro. 20.17 Yee shall not need to fight in this battle stand mooue not and behold the saluation of the Lorde towards you And king Iehoshaphat thereby obtained victorie against their enimies O Iudah and Ierusalem feare yee not neither be afraid to morrow goe out against them and the Lord will be with you And so it came to passe for their enimies slew one another euen the children of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of mount Seir to slay and destroie them and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir euerie one helped to destroy an other and so the Iewes entred vpon the spoile of them found among them aboundance both of substance and of bodies laden with pretious iewels which they tooke for themselues till they could carie no more and were three daies in gathering of the spoile for it was much and in the fourth day they praised God in the valley of Berachah which from that day had the name of that action for there they blessed and praised God for the victorie which he had giuen them and so called it the valley of blessing or praise and so they returned home to Ierusalem with great ioy Here we may consider the fruit of their fasting to be this that when by earnest praier they sought vnto God being in great feare as it is saide of the King that he feared and set himselfe to seeke the Lord 2. Chr. 10.3 then he made them to reioice So if we could thus rightly consider of this hand of God stretched out against vs that seeing our sinnes to be the cause of it wee would feare God and his wrath and suffer it to work vpon our consciences and seeke vnto God in feare earnestly to turne it awaie it might please him so to blesse vs at the last that we should haue great cause to reioice But verie few doe so laie it to heart that they haue all this while any thing profited by it in the true feare of God to repent them of any thing that is past to determine a better course heereafter and therefore cannot so earnestly seeke vnto God as they should for the remoouing of it and so it may iustly still be continued till it worke in vs this true feare which God grant that it may speedilie doe But let so manie as by the due consideration of this visitation haue set themselues to feare the Lord and to seeke vnto him in truth consider how God was found of this people and so will be of vs in his good time and as hee caused them after their great feare to returne home with as much ioy so he may bring those that for feare haue with griefe forsaken their townes and houses sal 126.5 bring them home againe with as much reioicing and whereas they haue sowen with teares they may reap with ioy and going out weeping and carying precious seede might returne with ioy and bring their sheaues as the prophet speaketh Lastly concerning this mattter we may see how the prophet Iona Ion. 3.4 comming to Nineue according to the coÌ„mandement of the Lord to denounce Gods heauie iudgement against them for their sinnes euen that within forty daies the whole citie should be ouerthrowne the King beleeuing this fearfull curse threatned to bee iust and deserued By this mâ—anes the Nineuites escaped thaâ— destruction that was threatned against them proclaimed a fast to this ende that euerie one turning from his euill waies and from the wickednesse of his hands that they might crie mightilie vnto the Lord as they did Wherupon it came to passe that God seeing their works to be good and that they turned from their euill waies indeed heard their praiers granted their requests and did repent him of the euill that
of sorrow and griefe that that fast of his was not vnrewarded of the Lord. For by that meanes he obtained that the execution of that iudgement against himselfe and all his posteritie which we haue heard of concerning the rasing of him and them from the kingdome and throne of Israel was put off and differred vntill his sonnes daies as it is saide in the wordes of that text that when he had heard what the prophet had prophesied against him 1. King 21.27 hee rent his clothes and put sackecloth vpon himselfe and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly in token of mourning and the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Theshbite saying Seest thou how Ahab is humbled because hee submitteth himselfe before me I will not bring this euill in his daies but in his sonnes daies I will bring euill vpon his house If the Lord then did so iustify this ordinance of his in the person of this wicked man when he did stoope but vnto the outward ceremonie and bodily exercise of it and was altogither voide of true humilitie and sound repentance resting onely in the bare outward tokens of them and had not his heart throughly broken by faith that hee differred this deserued and denounced iudgement so long that it came not in his daies which was a great outward blessing and honour vpon him how then much more if we so vse this outward abstinence as we doe Much mâ—re will he doe it to his seruants that vse it in trueth that especially we ioine to it the inward vertues of humilitie and repentance and contrition of hart and feruencie of praier will the Lord be appeased towards vs and at the least bee so farre foorth intreated that hee differre that great wrath of his that otherwise might breake out to our vtter destruction For if the Lorde hath shewed such mercie to the wicked as to spare them in this world for a time wheÌ„ they haue submitted themselues to the outward obedience of this commandement of humbling theÌ„selues in fasting though in great hypocrisie then howe much more will he spare his owne children that vse it in sincerity and trueth Therfore let this example also somewhat incourage vs with hope of good successe that wee shall finde the Lorde mercifull vnto vs in thus seeking vnto him in this time of great need And wee haue great reason so to doe if we doe but well weigh the dealing of one man towards another that when in affliction they haue submitted themselues vnto them they haue founde fauour with them By humble subâ—ission and pâ—aâ—er men haue found sâ—uouâ— with their enimiâ—s though they had greatly offended them before the onelie hope of this hath mooued them to seeke after this maner euen to those which were their professed enimies before and they haue done it not in vaine For thus it is written of Benadad king of Aram that when he was ouercome in two battels of Ahab king of Israel 1. King 20.29 and receaued so great an ouerthrow in the latter that in it were slaine of the Aramites an hundred thousand footemen in one daie and so was out of hope of anie safetie for himselfe at the length by the aduise of his seruants he put his companie into sackcloth with roapes about their heads and so came to the kind of Israel and intreated for their liues hoping by submitting theÌ„selues vnto him after this maner to obtaine pardon as indeed they did For the messengers when in this araie they came vnto him 1. King 2â— 33 said Thy seruant Benhadad saith I praie thee let me liue vsing all words and behauiour of great submission and Ahab answered he is my brother is he yet aliue goe bring him to me and when hee came hee made a couenant with him and let him goe See what is the fruite of true humiliation and humble supplication and if men will humble themselues and sue earnestly vnto men in hope of pardon 〈…〉 Gâ—d howe much more should they doe it vnto the Lorde whom they haue more offended and who hath greater power to punish them and if vnto those of whom they had no promise before of obtaining any thing but come to them altogither as it were at aduenture then much more to him of whom we haue so manie gratious promises in the Gospell to allure and encourage vs and if vnto those which were their open and professed aduersaries then most of al vnto him that is reconciled vnto vs by the blood of his sonne and is become our father in him and if vnto them where we haue none to speake and intreat for vs but our selues then especially to him where we haue an aduocate and mediatour 1. Ioh. 2.2 euen Iesus Christ the righteous who is also the propitiation for our sinnes and if vnto them of whose loue we neuer made triall before then vnto him much more who as he hath first shewed it aboue all measure in giuing his sonne to die for vs and that when we were his enimies hath since confirmed it vnto vs many waies that we need not doubt of it And on the other side if so great mercy hath beene thus found of men who haue scarce one drop of that compassion in them which is like a great deepe sea in the Lord then may we be assured that we shall not misse of it at his hands if we continue seeking and waite vpon him for it as we should and if a man hath found it of his enimy then much more of his God to whom he is reconciled and if where none speake for him but mortall men like themselues then much more where Iesus Christ the sonne of God maketh continual intercession for vs. So that euery waie we see we haue cause to doe as we do hoping assuredlie that we shall not doe it in vaine 〈…〉 praier Therefore if the commandement of God did not compell vs to the obedience of this humble submission as it doth yet the liberall and most certain promises which are made to them that shall vse it and especially the experience that we and other haue found of the vndoubted trueth of them should prouoke vs to this holy exercise of fasting and praier which if men will not come vnto so farre as they be able what remaineth for them and what other thing can they looke for but that if they will not humble themselues with the people of God to finde mercie they shall taste of his wrath with the wicked and if they wil not weepe now for their sinnes with the one they should houle in the punishment of them when it shall be too late with the other and if they wil haue no part nor portion in the obedience of Gods commandement giuen to his people both vnder the Law and the Gospell that they should haue part with them in the promises of reward made to them in them both Euen as the Lord himselfe in plaine words hath threatned that
they that wil not afflict themselues with sorrow for their sinnes in fasting and mourning at times conuenient he will destroy and roote them out from among his people saying This is a day of reconciliation Leu. 23 2â— to make an attonement for you before the Lorde your God and euery person that humbleth not himselfe that same daie shall euen be cut off from his people HOMIL VI. The sixt Homilie sheweth what is the proper time for fasting namely the time of affliction sorow and then how God requireth it and his seruants haue practised it and so how the Lord requireth it of vs in this time of our sorow and how long the time of a fast should continue and how the same time should be spent HAuing shewed in the former Treatises as you haue seene that this holy ordinance of fasting is grouÌ„ded vpon the commandement of God and that he straitly vpon our allegeance that wee owe vnto him requireth it of vs and so it can not be left vndone of vs without a manifest disobedience and contempt of his Word and moreouer that the whole action consisteth both in that outward bodily exercise of abstinence and forbearing of those things for a time which we haue heard of and also and especially in those inward vertues of the minde and graces of the spirit to be then attained vnto vsed and professed which haue lastly beene intreated of and therefore is to be obserued of vs after that maner that hath beene declared if we will haue our seruice therein acceptable vnto God and profitable to our selues it remaineth to shew what is the time proper and peculiar vnto this exercise and when the Lord especially requireth it of vs. For it is not an ordinarie and common seruice of God Fasting is not an ordinary seruice of God fit for all times that which shuld be practised euery day as some others are and so it is not fit for euery time but an extraordinarie part of his worship and of our dutie vnto him and so more meet for some times than for other Solomon by the wisdome of Gods spirit sayth in the booke of the Preacher as we haue heard before that there is to all things an appointed time Eccle. 3.1 a time to euerie purpose vnder the heauen and so a time to weepe and a time to laugh vers 4. a time to mourne and a time to dance and therefore a time to fast and a time to feast So then as it were a verie preposterous thing for any to make great feasts when they should fast and in the times when the Lord by his word and works of iustice calleth to fasting that then they should giue themselues to all kinde of cheering vp of themselues which kinde of prophanesse the Prophet greatly complaineth of in his time Esa 22.12 saying And in that day did the Lord God of hostes call vnto weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and girding with sackcloth and beholde ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating and drinking and mocking the doctrine of the Prophet with these words For to morow we shall die so on the other side it were a thing of very great disorder We must be able to discerne betweene the time of fasting and of feasting for any to afflict themselues to fast when God would haue them to reioice and feast as we see some of those that returned from the captiuity of Babylon of a good deuotion but of great ignorance and so were rebuked for it For when in the feast of Tabernacles they did heare the Law of God read whereof they had beene ignorant a great while and thereby perceiued how they had offended God they wept for their sinnes and began also to abstaine from their meat as appeareth by the answere of Esra and the rest of the Leuites who sayd vnto them Neh. 8.9 This day is holy vnto the Lord your God mourne not neither weepe but goe and eat of the fat and drinke the sweet and send part vnto them for whom none is prepared for this day is holy vnto our Lord be ye not sorie therefore for the ioy of the Lord is your strength So that it is as if they had sayd This is a time of great ioy for our deliuerance and other great benefits of God bestowed vpon vs and therefore not of fasting But this is the great blindnes and ignorance of many that this way they know no difference of times but all are alike to them if they may haue meat Heerein the Lord hath beene mercifull vnto vs and hath directed vs aright by his worde which as it is a light vnto our pathes Psal 119.105 and a lanterne to our feete in all other things so also in this when he hath shewed vs both by expresse commandement and also by the common practise of al the godlie in all ages The time of affliâ—â—ion sâ—rrow is the mâ—st â—râ—per time of fasting that the time of affliction is the most fit and conuenient time for fasting and as it were most proper vnâ—o it when as we haue cause of sorrow either for some great benefit that we want or others whom we loue in the Lord or some iudgement of God present as most like shortly to come vpon our selues or vpon them and as any of these be greater so haue we more cause alwaies to fast and God doth then require it of vs especially at that time And this is that which our Sauiour Christ sheweth in the Gospel where to this captious question of the Scribes and Pharesies saying Why doe the Disciples of Iohn fast often and praie Luk. 5.33 and the Disciples of the Pharesies also but thine eate and drinke he made this answer Can yee make the children of the wedding chamber to fast as long as the bridegroome is with them but the daies will come euen when the Bridegroome shall be taken away froÌ„ them and then shall they fast in those daies Where he excuseth his Disciples for not fasting at that time because the Bridegroome was with them as yet and so by Christs presence it was a time of ioy vnto them but ere it were long he should be taken from them and they should want him and there should come some great trouble vpon them which should cause them to phet euen that their deserued destruction was so neere at hande vnlesse they did speâ—dily repent and so put on sackecloth fâ—om the greatest of them euen to the least of them Thus in this time of great heauinesse they tooke vpon them this exercise of fasting which in the prosperitie and wealth and flourishing estate of the citie they knew not of neither were acquainted with it before but nowe they saw that the time it selfe did call them to another kinde of behauiour and so they did practise it willingly The like may be saide of the people of the Iewes in the daies of Queene Hester when Haman for the
sometimes two daies or three daies at the discretion of those that haue such cause to vse it And this appeareth by the fast of the Iewes which they kept in the time of their captiuitie of whom it is saide in the booke of Hester that when Mordecay sent vnto her the copie of the Kings commission sealed with his own signet for the rooting out of all the Iewes in one daie so that it was decreed that the whole Church of God should bee rased wit from the face of the earth at once Hâ—st 4 1â— then she promised that she would aduenture her life for them and goe into the King to make suite for them and that she and they might finde fauour with the Lord and with the King she willed them all to fast and praie three daies and three nights and neither eate nor drinke and she promised that her selfe and her maides woulde doe the like and it is said moreouer in the text that Mordecay went his way and hee and the Iewes did as they were commanded So that in this great extremitie of theirs they continued their fast for the space of manie daies together and so ought we to doe if the like affliction were vpon vs. But for this present though by the grace mercy â—f God it be otherwise with vs yet vndoubtedly in respect of this visitatoÌ„ which is verie grieuous wee ought to continue our fast one daie weekely so long as it shall be continued vpon vs and so though wee doe not keepe it maâ—â—e daies together yet we may and ought to doe it manie daies one after an other For seeing that it is appointed for the time of affliction and then one whole daie at the least is alotted for it so long as this time of affliction shall continue we should not be vnwilling weekely to bestow one day this waie that so the Lord may bee intreated with vs at the last And thus much for the time how long any fast should be held Now further we are to consider how we should bestow this time of fasting and wherein we are to be occupied in the daie of fast The time of fasting is 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 of thâ— Sabbath And for the better vnderstanding of that wee must knowe thus much that the time of fasting how long soeuer whether it bee but one daie or more is alwaies of the nature of the Sabbath therfore looke how we ought to bestow the Sabbath in resting from the ordinarie labors and workes of our callings and from all kinde of recreations and pastimes much more and come to the Church and be occupied in Gods seruice publikely and priuately so ought we to do vpon the day of fasting And that we might be assured heereof first we doe read that this day as it is of that nature so it hath that name giuen vnto it for it is called a Sabbath Leu. 23.23 This shal be vnto you a Sabbath of rest yee shal humble your soules in the ninth daie of the month at eeuen from eeuen to eeuen yee shall celebrate your Sabbath where twise in one verse Moses calleth it a Sabbath Secondlie it is called a Sabbath of rest and they are willed to rest their Sabbath to shewe that vpon that daie as vpon the ordinarie Sabbath day they should rest from the labours of their calling and more particularly they are forbidden to doe anie kinde of worke vpon that daie Leu. 23.28 as it is saide Yee shall doe no worke that same daie for it is a day of reconciliation to make attonement for you before the Lorde your God And this euerie person is forbidden And therefore then we ought to râ—st from the ordinary worke â—f our â—aking that vnder the punishment of Gods high displeasure to bee poured vpon them to their vtter destruction as it is set downe in the next verse following and euerie person that shall doe anie worke that same day the same person wil I destroy from among his people Therefore vpon this day all men should carefully giue ouer all ordinary workes of their calling and haue nothing to doe with them and not onely from their hands but their mindes from them according to the same strictnesse that they are bounde vnto vpon the Sabbath daie Insomuch that if there bee occasion to keepe a fast in the time of haruest or seed-time or any other time of businesse so manie as doe professe to keepe it must altogither abstaine from all such workes as were otherwise not onely lawfull but necessarie Which that we might the rather most yeeld vnto Workes of necessitie arâ— then permitted wee acknowledge and teach that in this daie of rest there is that liberty granted vnto vs both for the preparing of meat and drinke at the euening yea and at other times also of the daie if it be necessarie as for those that bee weake and sickely and for all other works of necessitie as anie occasion shall be offred that we haue vpon the Sabbath daies As for example if any be sicke it is lawfull to take paines about them yea to ride go for them if any sudden casualtie fall out by fire or water or theeues or such like it is lawfull to take all paines to represse the rage and furie of them But setting all such cases of necessitie aside all men ought wholy vpon these daies to rest from their labours which the Lorde hath straightly forbidden with the denunciation of a fearefull curse that he will assuredly bring vpon al those that breake it euen that he will cut them off from his people And besides this resting from worke which is necessarily required wee ought to bestow the whole day in the publicke and priuate exercises of the worship and seruice of God We must beâ—tow that lay wholly on the seruice of God as in hearing the Word of God read and preached confessing our sinnes and praying vnto the Lord and in all other meanes that might further vs thereunto and most of all which may quicken vs vp vnto true humilitie and feruency in prayer And therefore the Prophet Ioel Ioel 1.15 thus speaketh of it exhorting them to keepe a solemne day of fast sayeth Sanctifie a fast call a solemne assembly he doth not will them to appoint a day of fasting but to sanctifie it and keepe it holy to shew that it ought to be kept euen as an holy Sabbath So that as the seuenth day was sayd to be sanctified from the beginning because it was not appointed for the works of our calling but for the worship of God Exod. 20. and we are willed to remember it to keepe it holy so we should thinke of this day of fast as of an holy day and so remâ—mber it and thinke of it before hand that we take order for and so dispose of all our worldly businesse and affaires that that day we haue nothing to hinder vs from bestowing it wholly vpon the worship and seruice
of God Leu. 23.27 So likewise Moses speaking of the day of fast sayth It shal be an holy conuocation vnto you and you shal humble your soules and offer sacrifices made by fire vnto the Lord where he doeth not onely say that their assemblies then should be to an holy end as vpon the Sabbath and that they shuld not meet about worldly matters but speaketh of sacrifices as a part of Gods worship then to be vsed Therefore concerning the seruice of God this day to be vsed as vpon the Sabbath day besides the dayly morning and euening sacrifice there was a peculiar kinde of sacrifice appointed for that day Num. 28.9 namely two lambes of a yeere olde c. and so all things were then doubled and thus they spent the greatest part of the day in we publicke seruice of God so ought it to bee vpon the day of fast And this was the practise of the people of God as we reade in the booke of Nehemiah Neh. 9 1. where it is sayd That all the Israelites assembled with fasting Therefore longer time then ordinary should be spent in the publike assemblies and with sackecloth and earth vpon them the Leuites stood vp in their place and read in the booke of the law of the Lord their God foure times on the day and they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God foure times So that both for the exercise of the word and for prayer all was extraordinarie and so ought it to bee among vs that we should not onely do as we do namely twise a day once in the forenoone and againe in the afternoone but wee should continue both the times longer than we do and haue more exercises of the Word and of prayer if wee were able or had more helpe as it is sayd in this Congregation of the Iewes they had for the Leuites are reckoned vp by name who spake euen Ieshua and Bani Kadmiel vers 4.5 Shebaniah Bunni Sherebiah Bani Chenani who cried with a loud voice vnto the Lord their God and they stood vp and said Praise the Lord your God for euer and euer and let them praise thy glorious name O God which excelleth about al thanksgiuing praise where wee see that there were manie that prayed vnto God and exhorted the people which could not be all at once because of disorder and confusion but one after another whereby also it came to passe that they were able to continue so long euen to preach to pray foure times in the day And thus we see how this day ought to be spent therefore they that come to the Church in the forenoone and absent themselues in the afternoone without any necessarie cause to be approued of God and men do not keepe this holie day of fast as they should In the popish fasting dayes worke was ordinarily permitted And here againe we haue iust cause to finde fault with the popish pretended fastes who as in manie other things they swarued from the word of God so in this one point they came nothing neere it for vpon their fasting daies there was no restraint of worke but it was lawfull for them to followe their businesse as vpon any other day they that professed to keepe it most deuoutly yet did not leaue their businesse vntill noone and then not wholly neither for besides dressing vp of houses preparing of linen against the next daie if they had any worke of their owne to doe at home within the doores they thought that they might lawfully doe it though it held them occupied vntill night so they made no conscience of not working And besides this they had no speciall seruice vpon such daies and if they had few or none came to it and held themselues bound to it but the Churches were as empty vpon those daies And the seruice of God was little regarded as vpoÌ„ any other and they that were most superstitious in that religion were of opinion that if they came for a quarter or halfe an houre in the euening they had done as much as could be required of them though they vnderstood not one word of that that was said or done so far were they from hauing any holy assemblies or doubling of their seruice that day that they had none at al for the most part but all was differred vntill the day following as though they should fast vpoÌ„ one day and serue God vpon an other and not doe them both together And thus much of the time when and howe long we should fast and how the same time ought to be spent HOMIL VII The seuenth Homilie intreateth of the seuerall kindes or sorts of fasts whereof the one is priuate and the other publike and first of priuate fastings and how to behaue our selues in them and how they ought to be intertained into mens houses and for what causes and what great good may come thereby and what liberty the Gouernors haue in appointing of them aboue all the rest of the familie THe nature and thus condition of this holie exercise of fasting being thus hitherto described out of the worde of God both that it is an ordinance and commandement of almightie God and not an humane constitution and brought in by the policie of men and therefore that which all men must submit themselues vnto of conscience and also that it consisteth in that outward bodilie exercise of abstinence from all the coÌ„fort of this life for a time and in those inward vertues of the minde as true humilitie and feruencie of praier whereof we haue heard and that the time fit for it is specially the time of some great affliction and that then it must bee held longer or shorter time according to the greatnes of the same affliction whether it bee present or iustly to be feared that the said time of fasting is of the nature of the Sabbath and therefore must be so spent of all as vsually the Sabbath is ought to be both in abstaining from all the workes of our callings things of necessitie onely excepted and also in being occupied in the seuerall parts or Gods worship as the exercises of the reading and hearing of the worde of God praier vnto him and all meditation and good conference that might further them thereunto â—he seuerall â—undes of â—astes It remaineth now that I shoulde in order speake of their seuerall sorts and kindes of fasting that we might know how many they be and what they are that so we might vse them in their seuerall time and place as the Lorde shall require them of vs and as we shall see that wee haue cause so doe and that when we can not vse the one as there is no cause for it at all yet wee might perceaue that there was cause of the other and so thinke our selues bounde vnto it and that we should not thinke our selues wholly discharged of our obedience vnto the Lord this way because wee can
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 afâ—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 denouÌ„ced 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 theÌ„selues 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 coÌ„manded 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 coÌ„mitted 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 â—hen Abner was traiterously slaine by â—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 fastâ—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 Dauâ—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
not expressed for this great sin and for feare of Gods vengeance against it Dan. 9.2 Daniel fasted priuately in the time of the captiuitie Wee haue also a very cleere and pregnant example of priuate fasting in the prophet Daniel who when hee vnderstood by bookes the number of the yeeres whereof the Lord had spoken vnto Ieremiah the prophet that he would accomplish seuentie yeeres for the desolation of Ierusalem and so perceaued that the time of their deliuerance was drawing on he turned his face vnto the Lord his God sought by praier and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and after that the Lord according to his promise would now accomplish the same The affliction of captiuitie was common and so all ought to haue sought vnto God after this maner aswell as hee as they did in the daies of Hester and it may be that some other that feared God did so then also in their seuerall families but as we are vncerteine of that though charitie bindeth vs to hope well of them so wee are sure that Daniel did priuately seeke vnto God in fasting and praier both for himselfe and for the people because it is so written of him Whereupon we inferre that not onely when affliction is priuately vpon our selues wee ought thus to seeke vnto the Lord but when it is vpon our brethren especially when it is vpon the church and common-welth and we ought then priuately to doe it the rather because we should be more touched with the common estate then with our owne particular so that if in such cases there bee no order taken for publike fasting then they that feare God and know the day of their visitation must thus priuately humble themselues before God and mourne euery familie a part Zac. 12.12 yea their wiues apart as the prophet speaketh And so at this present in respect of that great mortalitie that hath bene a long time in the chiefe places of this land So ought the godâ—â— to do â—n the tiâ—e of any â—ommon caâ—amitie as of this pesâ—ilence if there had beene no order taken for publike fasting as by the grace of God and the Christian wisedome of our gouernour there is yet it was the dutie of all good men and women priuately to haue done it and so must we heereafter doe in like cases and I doubt not but some or other yea many at this time did thus before this godly and religious order publikely came foorth For though we may not disorderly vndertake and set vp publike fasts in our churches vpon our owne priuate motion but must sue for and expect the alowance commandement of publike authoritie that al things might be done in the house of God honestly by good order 1. Cor. 14.40 according to the golden rule of the Apostle or rather the spirit of God yet if any do it priuatelie when there is cause it shal be both acceptable to God and profitable to themselues and to others and no offence vnto any And for this also God will remember them and shew mercie vnto them in such common calamities as he shall bring vpon the people in their time euen as the prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 9.4 doth promise to all those that mourned in IerusaleÌ„ for the abhominations of that time of whom he thus speaketh that the Lorde called to the maÌ„ clothed with linen which had the writers inkehorne by his side and said vnto him goe through the middes of the citie euen through the middes of Ierusalem And God will spare them and blesse them for it and set a marke vpon the foreheads of them that mourne and cry for all the abominations that bee done in the middes thereof and so to the other he said that I might heare goe yee after him through the citie and smite let your eie spare none neither haue pittie destroie vtterlie the old and the yoong and the maides and the children and the women but touch no man vpon whom is the marke and begin at my Sanctuarie Where we see that they are marked out and spared that mourne for the sinnes of their time which must needs be vnderstoode principally of priuate mourning vnto which in some one or other we may presume was ioined fasting Therefore if when we see sinne abound in all sorts and degrees as it doth in our time too much which threateneth some great iudgement vniuersally to come as wee haue also felt and doe still by this present pestilence if the gouernors should be carelesse and negligent in their offices and so there should be no order taken for publike fasting to turne awaie Gods wrath yet they that priuately sorrow and mourne and fast and praie as they then ought shall finde mercie at the hand of God in the day of their visitation as these in Ierusalem did But to returne to Dauid 2. Cor. 11.27 Dauid fasteâ— priuately foâ— the afflictioâ— of his enimies of whom we beganne to speake before as hee was a verie godlie man so hee did much frequent this holy exercise of fasting that it may truely be saide of him as it is of the Apostle Paule hee was in fasting often And these fastings he vsed not onely for himselfe but for others so louing and pittifull was he and so full of compassion and so touched with the griefe of others that when they were in any great miserie as sâ—ckenesse or otherwise and these not his friends so much but his verie enimies he besought the Lorde for them as we read in the 35. Psalm Psal 35 1â— They rewarded me euill for good to haue spoiled my soule but I when they were sicke I humbled my soule with fasting and my praier was turned vpon my bosome I behaued my selfe as to my friends or as to my brother I humbled my selfe mourning as one that bewailed his mother Where he professeth that though his enimies reioiced at his fall and sought his hurt euerie way yet hee was sorie for their affliction and praied for them continually as though hee had caried his praier about with him in his bosome and this hee did humbling himselfe with fasting according to the doctrine of the Apostle Rom. 12.15 which all of vs should practise Reioice with them that reioice and weepe with them that weepe bee of like affection one towards an other And the like practise of his wee haue in an other Psalme Psal 69.9 where hee saith The zeale of thine house hath eaten mee and the rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon me And for the wickednesse of the vngodly I wept and my soule fasted but that was to my reproofe I put on sackcloth also I became a prouerbe vnto them Where hee sheweth that hee was so greeued with the outragious sinnes of the wicked against God as if they had beene against himselfe and so gaue himselfe vnto fasting and praier vnto the Lord for them And truely if we had that zeale in vs to
labours and therefore they can not make choise of a day of priuate fasting for of that we speake and not of publike wherein both master and seruant must be at the appointment of their gouernour but so farre onely as their superiours shall giue them leaue So that if they can not or wil not spare their labours for a time they are of necessitie to keepe all their priuate fasts vpon the Sabbath dayes wherein they are bound to rest from their labours and to serue God as well as any other and so their masters and gouernours should not onely giue them leaue to doe but also are charged by God so to doe and haue authoritie giuen ouer them to that end according to the expresse words of the commandement Sixe dayes shalt thou labour Exod. 20.9 and doe all thy worke but the seuenth day it is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man seruant nor thy maide where they are willed not only not to hinder them from sanctifying of the day but to looke diligentlie vnto them that they doe religiously obserue and keepe it and so vpon that day they may at any time the times of necessitie being alwaies excepted without any offence to their gouernors by defrauding theÌ„ of their seruices keepe their fasts And so may they doe any day of the weeke els if they haue their leaue otherwise not For though this be a speciall part of Gods seruice and that which he requireth of all at one time or other yet because it is not ordinarie and the sixe dayes are appointed for all the works of our seuerall callings ordinarilie and they are not their owne men as we say but at the disposition of others euen of their gouernours therefore he hath giuen theÌ„ leaue to breake all such purposes of theirs as shall vpon any of these dayes hinder them from any of those workes or seruices If they doe their gouernours haue power to breake them wherein they are to imploy them and vse them And so as they may not vpon these dayes leaue their worke and go to a Sermon heere there which some not ill minded might be willing to doe and so leaue their masters businesse vndone and thus vnder the colour of deuotion and well meaning not only idlenesse might be nourished in them but many disorders brought into a familie so much lesse are they at their own pleasure to take vp whole dayes to themselues for fasting without the priuitie and good liking of those vnder whom they are and if they should enterprise any such thing they are by them to be reprooued and amended according to the power that God hath giuen them And heerein as in some other things doth the law of God take place that is set downe by Moses Num. 30.4 If a woman vow a vow vnto the Lord binde herselfe by a bond being in her fathers house in the time of her youth and her father heare her vow and bond wherewith she hath bound her selfe and her father holde his peace concerning her then all her vowes shall stand euery bond wherewith shee hath bound her selfe shall stand but if her father disallow her the same day that he hereth al her vowes and bonds wherewith she hath bound her self they shal not be of value the Lord will forgiue her because her father disalowed her Where first he saith That if any make a vow or binde themselues with any bond to God or man they must keepe it but if a maid in her youth Because this kinde of serâ—ice is but voluntary and in her fathers house that is whiles shee is vnder his gouernment make a vowe and when hee heareth it by his silence or otherwise approoueth it then it is in force and must be performed but if he disallow of it then it shall be of no value and God will pardon her because her father hath broken it So that they haue not power while they be vnder gouernment to vowe what they will no not to God as to fast which is a voluntary seruice and may be vowed but if they haue done the father may breake it The equitie of this law giueth the same authoritie to the father ouer his sonnes and to the master and mistresse ouer their maid seruants and men seruants bindeth all them to be obedient vnto theÌ„ in such cases especially wheÌ„ as the Lord himselfe setteth downe the same law for the wife making a vowe without the knowledge and approbation of her husband vers 7 saying If she haue an husband when she voweth or pronounceth ought with her lippes wherewith she bindeth herselfe if her husband heareth and holdeth his peace concerning her the same day he heareth it then the vowe shall stand and her bonds wherewith she bindeth herselfe shall stande in effect but if her husband disalow her the same day that he heareth it then shall hee make her vowe which she hath made and that she hath pronounced with her lippes wherewith she bound herselfe of none effect and the Lord will forgiue her where wee see that the spirit of God vseth manie wordes to giue vs to vnderstand that though they haue determined neuer so certainly to do it yet they by their absolute authoritie may hinder them And truely if it were not thus manie might and would vnder this colour pretence somtimes of fained holinesse defraud their parents and masters of their seruice when they should most need them but God is the God of order and therefore hauing subiected children vnto their parents and seruants vnto their masters their persons and their willes and hauing commanded them to be obedient vnto them in the Lord in all things woulde haue them in all such matters Col. 3.20.22 as are but voluntarie to depend vpon their willes I confesse that it is to be granted In duties absolutely commanded the gouernours cannot restraine their inferiors that in things absolutely necessarie either for the glorie of God a mans saluation the preseruation of life the good of others and such like as to worship God purely and to be of a sound religion and to bee no heretike papist sectarie or atheist and to be of an holie life and conuersation and not to be prophane like Esau or like the silthie sowe 2. Pet. 2.22 that wallowerh in the mire generally to keepe all Gods commandements and to beleeue all the articles of our faith these things I saie they are to do yea although they cannot haue their consent For heere the wordes of the Apostles are in force who when they were brought before the counsell of the high Priests and Elders and there by them straightlie charged that in no wise they should speake or teach in the name of Iesus Act. 4.18 answered them and saide whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge yee So that
Peter and Iohn when they were forbidden to preach which Christ had necessarily inioined them by vertue of their office of Apostleship and so in obeying them therin they shuld haue disobeyed God they answered as you haue heard and so did that which God necessarily commaunded thogh men forbad theÌ„ And this must be the practise of all inferiors when they are forbidden any thing of their superiours which God hath commanded them in his worde either as they be Christians or otherwise and heere is their defence in so dooing But yet all these aboue-named degrees of persons Inferiors may make choise of the Sabbath day for their priuate fastes in their subiection though they be restrained from the choise of the day yet are not therefore set free from the thing it selfe I meane from the practise of priuate fasting when they shall haue iust cause for they may celebrate them vpon the Sabbath in which their masters should giue them leaue to bee wholly the Lords seruants and so not incumber them with anie seruice excepting things of necessitie which are permitted euen in the day of fastes And though there bee few vnder gouernement in families of that godlinesse and conscience that they are like to practise these priuate fastes yet neither am I out of hope of all and I thought it necessarie to deliuer the doctrine for it is their dutie thus to doe though the greatest part be ignorant or make no conscience of it And so this shall suffice to haue beene spoken of the first kind of fast which is priuate HOMIL VIII The eight Homilie intreateth of the second kind of fasts which are publike why so called and how all sorts ought to come to them and what a great fault it is for any to be absent And then of the cause of them whâ—ch is the wrath of God against his Church either present as it is now vpon vs or likely to come which the godlie haue considered in the course of Gods prouidence and so haue sought by fasting and praier to preuent it and not alwaies taried till it came vpon them THe second and last kind of fasting Publike fasts and why they are so called which I am to intreat of at this time is publike or common and is so called because it is and ought to be vsed not of a few but a whole Church and congregation in a towne or citie or of manie Churches in the same or in a countrie or realme and thus vsed by the publike authoritie and commandement of them who next vnto Christ Iesus haue the gouernment of those places where the fast is held and not by the motion or aduise of some priuate man as the other that we spake of before is And therefore also these kindes of fastes are kept in the publike places openly where they vse to haue their common assemblies for the worship of God where the Church is constituted vnder a Christian Prince and not in any priuate house or houses And the cause of them is some general calamitie of the Church for the most part and not priuate to one or some few and that either in the same place where the fast is sanctified or in some other churches of their brethren neer or farre of for whom they seeke vnto the Lord according to the bond of Christian loue that ought to bee among all the Churches of God as â—mong the members of one mysticall body whereof Christ is the head and the same calamity either presently vpon them or imminent greatly to be feared So that briefely or in a word a publike fast is that which is imposed by publike authoritie vpon all the people of that place to be kept openlie in the common place of their holie assemblies for some common plague to be remooued or turned away or for the obtaining of some common benefit belonging to the whole bodie of the same Church or to some principal member of the same And such is this that we haue These which we now keepe are publike and doe keepe this day by the authoritie first of the Kings most excellent Maiestie and then of those that are in authoritie vnder him in Ecclesiasticall matters and for the well ordering of all things to bee done in the Church vnto which all sorts of men and women should come in al cities towns Such was the fast that was celebrated in Niniue at the preaching of Iona Iona 3.7 for the King caused it to be proclaimed through Niniue euen through that great citie of three daies iourney by the counsell of the King and his nobles saying vers 5. Let neither man nor beast taste any thing feed or drinke water and as the proclamation was thus generall reaching vnto all so it was accordingly put in practise for it is saide a little before the people of Niniue beleeued God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackecloth from the greatest of them euen to the least of them so that the fast was kept by all the people of that citie The like may be saide of that that was obserued in the daies of Hester for though in respect of the places where it was as in their seuerall houses closely it may be called priuate yet in regard of the multitude that kept it euen al the Iewes and people of God in that citie and in respect of the person by whose direction they were moued vnto it euen the Queene it may truely be called publike for it is sayd that she sent this commandement to Mordecay Goe and assemble al the Iewes that are found in Shushan and fast for me and Mordecay went his way and did according to all that Hester Hest 4.16 had commanded him so this fast was imposed vpon all the Iewes and all of them kept it And therefore all sorts of people should come to them And so to the obseruation of these fastes of ours all should come not one or two in a familie and say goe you to daie and we will come the next day for by the authoritie and commandement of our gouernors all are inioined vnto it Exod. 20 1â— And as vpon the Sabbath because it is a daie appointed for the publike seruice of God all are commanded to keepe it holie Thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy man seruant and thy maide seruant and the stranger that is within thy gates So vpon these daies which are of the nature of the Sabbath and are also publikely commanded all should thinke theÌ„selues bound vnto it Esa 2.3 Therefore as vpon the Sabbath day they should come together and saie one to another Come let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord so vpon these daies of fasting one should call vpon another Therefore not onely that is a great fault if any should not come at all but if any should come for nouelties and then giue it ouer againe yea and if they should come seldome now and then or if they should come
that we lacke helpe and that we had need still to call for more and so to stir vp those that come not or come seldome and to call vpon them that doe that they would bring as manie with them as they can euen their whole familie and all the seruants in the same And doe we not see by this that it is our bounden dutie to do as we do that we may continue it willingly of conscience and that we had not need to be remisse or slacke one whit either in true humilitie for our sinnes or in feruencie of praier seeing Gods hand is not slaked but rather stretched out still Therefore to conclude this point as the commandement and cause is publike so by our practise let it appeare among vs that our fasts are so and not priuate as it were to some few â—he cause of â—ublike fasts 〈◊〉 the wrath â—f God aâ—ainst the â—hurch Now concerning the causes of publike fastings they are set downe particularly to be diuers in the holy Scripture but for the most part and generally the cause is expresly noted to be the wrath and anger of God against the Church as appeareth by all the fasts that we reade of in the old new Testament And this is diligently to be obserued of vs that wee seeing the same cause among vs might knowe that though wee are commanded by publike authoritie to vse them and so all are bound to them yet when wee shall further vnderstand that God himselfe not man onely for this cause calleth vs vnto them then wee should iudge that all are bound vnto them so much the more And this wrath of God the cause of publike fasts is considered two waies either that which is alreadie come vpon men or which is iustly to be feared shortly and to whether of these two causes wee shall cast our eyes we shall clearely see that we haue great cause to do as we do that is publickely to humble our selues in fasting before the Lord. And first of all when it iâ— presently vpon them Iudg. 20.26 For concerning the former which is the wrath of God presently vpon the Church wee reade in the time of the Iudges when in two battels there were slaine of the Israelites fortie thousand this heauie hand of God being then vpon them all the children of Israel went vp and all the people came also vnto the house of God and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day vnto the euening so that in this present calamitie all the people came to the fast which was held for it in the house of God Since this plague began among vs by all estimation there haue not so few as forty thousand died in this land therefore wee haue also as great cause to fast for this present apparent token of Gods wrath as they had and so all the people should come to the house of God to that end Moreouer the Prophet Ioel sayth to the people of Iudah that seeing there was so great a famine among them that God commanded them all publikelie to fast saying Ioel 2.15 Thus saieth the Lord Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts let the bridegrome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weepe Where we see that because the present scarsitie of the fruits of the earth was so great he calleth all sorts of men and women yoong and olde without exception vnto publike fasting to pacifie Gods wrath and that by the commaundement of the Lord saying As it is now vpon vs in this pestilence Thus saith the Lord. If the anger of God appearing in the famine was a sufficient cause to moue them to it then seeing it appeareth no lesse if not a great deale more in the deadlie contagions and mortalitie of the pestilence that we may be assured that the Lord doth require the same of vs also Againe if the Israelites when they were ouerthrowen in battle by their enimies the Philistins in the daies of Samuel did thinke that there was great cause to confesse their sinnes vnto God with all humilitie in fasting praier publikely according to the direction of the said Samuel 1. Sam 7.6 who said Gather al Israel to Mizpeh and I wil pray for you vnto the lord they gathered togither to Mizpeh and drew water powred it out before the Lord that is wept abundantly and fasted the same day and saide there wee haue sinned against the Lorde and afterwards in the daies of Dauid vpon the like occasion of whom and of all whose companie it is saide 2. Sam. 1.12 That Dauid tooke hold on his clothes and rent them and likewise all the men that were with him and they mourned and wept and fasted vntill euen for Saul and Ionathan his sonne and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel because they were slaine with the sword Then seeing the plague deuoureth no lesse then the sword of which it is said that it so destroieth at noone-daie Psa 91.7 that it causeth a thousand to fall on the one side ten thousand on the other seeing the wrath of God appeareth in the one as well as in the other though wee haue escaped that which wee feared namely that wee haue not fallen into the handes of our enemies yet seeing the Lorde hath sent this great scourge of the pestilence vpoÌ„ vs which we looked not for we haue as great cause to humble our selues with fasting confessing our sins vnto God in praier In which respect we are bound to keepe them by the commandement not onely of men but of God as they So then we may perceiue that seeing this one cause of publike fasting is among vs namely the sensible and apparent token of Gods wrath in great measure that the thing it selfe ought to be practised of vs and that we are called to it now not onely by the voice of man but of the Lord our God and so euery one ought to thinke themselues bound to it so much the more Furthermore the wrath of God is to be considered of vs not only when it is 〈◊〉 presently vpon vs and may be felt Secondly the signes of gods wrath to come haue beene cause of publike fasting but wheÌ„ it maybe descerned a far off and when there is iust cause to fear it as that that is neere vs and readie shortly to come vpon vs if it be not speedily preuented whereof when the seruants of God haue seene euident signes and apparent tokens they haue in the wisedome of the spirit of God sought by fasting and praier to turne it away and haue not carelessely taried vntill such time as it came vpon them And so that hath beene an other sufficient cause of fasting vnto
them namely the signes of Gods wrath by al likelihood shortly to come vpon them Wherein they haue prouidently behaued themselues like vnto those that are wise who being in their iourney and spying a blacke cloud to arise so perceiuing some great tempest to be at hande haue either prepared themselues well for it or haue sought some shelter against it So they foreseeing by all probable coniectures so great calamity to come vpon them haue by fasting and praier sought vnto the Lord as to the onely gouernour and disposer of all things either of his great mercy to turne it away from them or of his infinite compassion to mitigate the extremity of it or to giue them patience and strength to beare it or that some way or other they might finde fauour with him in it And concerning the signes and tokens of Gods wrath shortly to come they haue wisely obserued and considered of them diuersly As first of all in the course of his prouidence that seeing ordinarily such and such causes doe bring forth such effects euents and therefore by the cause as by a signe more then probable Which signe haue beene considered in the ordinary course of gods prouidence they haue not vnaduisedly feared such sequels and haue seene Gods anger in them And namely we see that vnseasonable weather as want of raine in due season or too great aboundance of it out of time betokeneth scarsity of the fruites of the earth and so consequently dearth and famine preparation for warre by a mightie and strong enimie threatneth the losse of men and spoiling of goods the beginning of the plague portendeth great mortalitie and such like therefore when there hath beene but the beginning of such things seeing the stormie tempest as it were arising they haue sought by this ordinance of fasting as by a sure refuge to escape it And so we read that when there came some and told Iehoshaphat King of Iudah saying 2. Chr. 20.2 There commeth a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea out of Aram and behold they be in Hazzon Tamar which is in Engedi And Iehoshaphat fefeared sat himselfe to seeke the Lord proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah Iudah gathered themselues together to aske couÌ„sel of the Lord they came out of all the cities of Iudah to inquire of the Lord. Thus we see when this huge armie of the Ammonites Moabites and mount Seir did but come vp against Ierusalem at the first hearing of it though yet nothing was done neither were they come to them considering what was likely to be the euent of that warre if they had proceeded and if the Lord had not holpen them he proclaimed a fast and did thus seeke to escape that which was like to come So likewise in the time of the captiuitie when ambitious and cruell Haman the mortall enimie of the Iews so breathed after their vtter destruction that he ceased not to cast lottes from day to day to finde out a prosperous time to bring his mischieuous purpose to passe and at the last had got the King to set his hande to a Decree concerning the finall racing of them all out in one daie and Mordecay had sent the copie of this commission to the Queene Hester Hest 4.6 long before the bloodie day of that intended massacre came they sought vnto the Lorde And so they haue sought to preuent Gods wrath and haue not taried till it came vpon them for Hester commanded heereupon that they should assemble all the Iewes and fast and pray for her as she likewise promised for herselfe for her maides that they woulde doe so also So that these before their enimies began the slaughter by all probability of that that was done already seeing what was most like to insue if God were not mercifull vnto them to turn the hart of the king towards theÌ„ before-hand they sought by fasting praier to escape it and did so as it followeth in that storie more at large And so by these few examples we see how the seruants of God that haue beene godly wise haue not alwaies taried vntil Gods wrath in some of his punishments hath seased vpon them but the very foresight of it a loofe of hath bin enough to moue theÌ„ to seeke vnto the Lorde in fasting and praier to escape it or to finde mercie in it Euen as an ingenuous childe and he that is of anie good disposition seeketh to his father for pardon not onely when he is vnder the rodde of correction and feeleth the stripes but when hee seeth his father with an angrie countenance comming towards him with the rodde in his hands so they haue not taried till they haue felt the smart of Gods correction vpon themselues but the verie shew of his wrath comming against them hath beene sufficient to moue them to humble themselues before him and to craue his pardon In which respect also besides that that we spake of before we must needs confesse that wee haue great cause to fast and pray publikly for besides that great wrath of God that hath beene a long time vpon our brethren In respect of Gods wrath likely yet further to come vpon vâ— there is cause of these publike fasts which is a thing present and so ought to moue if we further consider what cause wee haue to feare our selues our houses and our townes though hitherto by the grace of God nothing is come vpon vs we shall acknowledge it to bee true And to this end we must acknowledge the nature of this disease to be very contagious and infectiue aboue all other and that it spreadeth from one place to another after a speciall maner and that it infecteth also after an extraordinarie kinde as not onely by touching and eating and drinking with them and keeping them companie that are sicke of it as some other diseases doe but euen by the breath that we draw in which as it is the most common nourishment that wee haue and without the which wee can not liue so it is most subtile and speedie aboue all other so that it worketh in vs with great expedition whereupon it commeth to passe that euen by passing by theÌ„ euen suddenly with the breath and sauour of them that are infected we are corrupted and it is a poison and so infecteth deadly and speedilie as all poisons doe all the parts of the body â—f we consiâ—er the conâ—agious naâ—ure of the plague how speedily and how deadly â—t infecteth and not so much corrupteth the humors of the bodie which is sufficient to breed deadly diseases as it infecteth the heart and the spirits and all the vitall parts and therefore dispatcheth a man quickely and killeth him speedily so may die suddenly as experience teacheth euen in this plague that some being taken into a mans house ouer night haue beene found dead in the morning and some haue fallen from their horses as they trauelled and
God towards his Church to which specially he hath giuen his worde and the Ministers thereof to warne them of his deserued punishments beforehand as it is saide of the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 3.17 Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman to the house of Israel therefore heare the worde at my mouth and giue them warning from me so we have not wanted this great mercie of God For by the Ministers of our time from the trueth of Gods worde wee haue beene warned of his iudgements to come from time to time Who though by the spirit of prophecie they could not foretel wheÌ„ in what daie or moneth or yeere or after what maner either with the sworde famine or pestilence as the prophets did in their time to whom it was speciallie reuealed yet out of the most certaine trueth of Gods worde and the constant course of his dealing in former times they haue constantlie auouched and saide that God must needes before it bee long some waies punish vs for our sinnes as it is nowe come to passe and as it hath beene preached vnto the people before And hath not this bene seuerelie denounced against vs often Math. 3.10 which Iohn Baptist did against the Iewes Now is the axe put to the roote of the tree therefore euerie tree which bringeth not foorth good fruite shal be hewen downe and cast into the fire hath it not beene preached that God would vtterly destroy all those that liue vnprofitable vnder his Gospell destroie them I say euen by the rootes yet vndoubtedly this hath beene often sounded in the eares of all hearers chap. 21.19 and that the figge-tree that hath nothing on it but leaues shall be accursed and wither that is all hypocrites that content themselues with a bare outwarde profession of the Gospell and labour not for the inward vertue and power of it in their life to the glory of God and the benefite of others shall be discouered in time and come to nought according to the praier of the prophet Doe well O Lord vnto those Psal 125.4 that be good true in their hearts but these that turne aside by the crooked waies them shal the Lord lead with the workers of iniquitie but peace shall bee vpon Israel Luk. 13.6 And though he be a most patient God towards al euen towards the wicked yet he wil seuerely punish those at the last that abuse his great patience as appeareth in the parable of a certaine housbandman who had a figge-tree planted in his vineyard he came and sought fruit therein and found none then said he to the dresser of his vinyard Behold this three yeres haue I come and sought fruite of this figge-tree and find none cut it down why keepeth it also the ground barren And he answered and saide vnto him Lord let it alone this yeere also till I digge round about it and dunge it and if it beare fruit well if not then after thou shalt cut it downe Rom. 2.4 So the God of patience who thereby leadeth all men to repentance or leaueth them without excuse hath waited for our repentance and amendment of life as the fruit of all the paines that he hath taken with vs in his Gospell but vndoubtedly if after this preaching from yeere to yeere we remaine vnfruitfull at the last he will root them vp which make the Church barren which is in it owne nature the most fruitfull place in the world And therefore wee ought long agoe to haue sought vnto God in fasting and â—raier to escape this wrath These such like things haue not onely beene preached euerie where but with greate earnestnesse and zeale so vttered that we might easilie discerne that they spake not of themselues but were thereunto stirred vp by the spirit of God so that God warned vs of his iudgements by them and therefore wee should haue beleeued them and so haue sought heeretofore by fasting and praier to haue these â—â—ings turned away For as Dauid wheÌ„â—he prophet Nathan terrified his conâ—ience with the fearefull denuntiation Gods iudgement for his sinne sayâ—g 2. Sam. 12.9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lorde to doe euill in his sight therefore the sword shall neuer depart from thine house then he besought the Lord fasted and lay all night vpon the earth before all came vpon him And as Ahab King of Israel when Eliah the prophet reproouing him sharpely for his sinne saide vnto him in the name of God behold I will bring euill vpon thee and take awaie thy posteritie 1. King 21.21 c. when hee heard these words hee rent his clothes and put sackecloth vpon him and fasted and so both these when they did heare from messenger of God what was due to them for their sinnes they sought by priuate fasting to haue it turned away So when the Lord euerie where stirred vp his seruants with all zeale and feruencie of spirit more then ordinarily thus to speake vnto vs and did sing vnto vs the dolefull song of his heauie iudgements and so with Iohn Baptist did mourne vnto vs Luk. 7.32 that we might haue wept we should haue done as the Niniuites did Iona 3.5 that is wee should haue beleeued God and his seruants and haue put on sackecloth from the greatest to the least and so by fasting and praier haue sought vnto the Lord to turne it away not carelesly to haue taried till the hand of God was vpon vs as now we haue done Wee should haue beene wise as others haue beene before vs to haue taken knowledge of Gods wrath to come by the threatnings of his word preached vnto vs by his seruants and so sought to preuent them as they did Thus we see A conclusioâ— shewing what cause there is of publike fasting in respect of Gods wrath appearing against our selues that whether we looke to the time present or to come and therein to the course of Gods prouidence whereby if wee consider all things well wee haue more cause to feare our selues then to be secure or wee looke to sinne that aboundeth euerie where which being vnrepented of calleth for vengeance at Gods hand against vs or wee consider this that our sinnes haue beene sharpely reprooued and Gods curse for them threatned against vs by those that haue spoken vnto vs in his name we haue great cause to doe as we doe I meane to resort thus to the Church to seeke vnto God by fasting and praier yea wee should haue done it long before and seeing that there are so manie causes of publike fasting among vs wee must therefore thinke that the Lorde requireth the thing it selfe at our hands Which we shall the rather also be perswaded of if besides all this that hath beene spoken to that end we further consider that the people of God alwaies making this a sufficient cause of their fastings eueÌ„ the wrath of God appearing against his Church as we