in these good workes the doing of which is a dutie toward man but that true and sound Religion is necessarily and by consequence ioyned with these workes And so when God saith that the Fast which he requireth is to loose bands of wickednes c. and to deale bread to the hungry c. Hee meaneth not that a true Fast doth essentially and formally consist in these workes but that it is euer ioyned with them And the good workes which God requireth to accompany a religious Fast are of two sorts some are workes of iustice which are to loose the bands of wickednesse to vndoe the heauie burdens c. that is to surcease and leaue off their oppressing and wronging of their brethren And some againe are workes of mercy which are to deale ones bread to the hungry to cloathe the naked c. By all which it doth appeare that God maketh no account of fasting if it be not ioyned with charity toward the poore and iust dealing towards all men The ancient Fathers agreeably to Scriptures are eloquent and plentifull in this argument Saint Ambrose a Illi qui ieiunant à cibo non se abstinent à malo similes sunt diabolo qui non manducat tamen à malo non cessat Ambros Serm. 43. p. 61. Hee that fasteth from meat and abstaineth not from sinne is like the Deuill who doth not eat and yet ceaseth not from sinne And againe the same Father b Qui abstinemus prandia nostra pauperibus praerogemus Sie tu pro delictia tuis ieiunus Dominum roges ille pro te satiatus exoret vtrumque tibi proficiens tua fames saturitas mendicorum Serm. 41. pag. 59. Wee that fast saith he let vs giue our dinners to the poore So thou fasting shalt aske God pardon for thy sinnes and hee beeing filled shall obtaine it for thee and both of them shall be for thy good both thy fasting and the poore mans eating To the same purpose speaketh Saint Augustin c Tum gratae sunt Deo nostrae ieiunia si illi qui necessitate ieiunant reficiantur à nobis August de Temp. Ser. 64. pag. 231. G. Then are our fasts accepted with God saith hee if they which fast because they want meat be relieued by vs. And againe the same Father and in the same Sermon d Dum à licitit abstinemus magis ac magis admonemur illicita vitare Qui enim abstinemus nos à carnibus quibus alijs diebus vti licet c. imprimis peccata fugiamas quae omninò nunquā licent Itaque si volumus bene ieiunare à cibis ante omnia ieiunemus à vitijs Augustin de Temp. Serm. 64. Dominic 1. Quadrages p. 231. E. While wee abstaine from lawfull things wee are admonished more and more to eschew vnlanifull things For wee that abstaine from flesh which at other times wee may vse ought especially to auoyd sinnes which may neuer be vsed And therefore if woe will fast rightly from meat wee must aboue all fast from sinne But Saint Basil most fully and fitly to this purpose e Caue ne ieinnij vtilitatem sola escarum abstinentia metiaris Verum enim ieiunium est ab omnibus vitijs esse alienum c. Bafil de Ieiunio Homil. 1. pag. 331. Doe not place saith he the good of fasting in the abstinence of meat for true fasting consisteth in abstayning from sinne For eatest thou not flesh but thou deuourest thy brother Forbearest thou to drinke wine but thou forbearest not to offer wrong to thy brother And thou stayest till night before thou breake thy fast but thou spendest all the day in Law-suites and quarrelling And doest thou think to please God with such a godlesse fast No no Woe to them that are drunke and not with wine And who be they They are all such saith he as are ouercome and haled away with vnruly lusts of sinne as of anger and enuy and reuenge and ambition and carnall pleasures For all such vnmortified lusts are as so many kindes of drunkennesse For hee that is led and possessed with these hee is not his owne man hee cannot see and discerne the way of reason much lesse of religion no more than a drunken man can find his way in the street And if a man doe abstaine from wine and yet be drunke with these vices or if a man forbeare the flesh of beasts and feed on the bloud of his brother this is no truer a fast in Gods sight than if he should abstaine from a weaker wine and ouerwhelme himselfe with a stronger or should fast from swines flesh and glut himselfe with Partridge and Pheasant The summe of all is A true Fast cannot be separated from an holy life IIII. Fourthly it is required that the soule doe consider of and put in practice such holy duties as a Fast doth by the outward behauiour make profession of Some doe require that euery Fasting-day bee kept as an Holy-day without doing of any worldly worke and with performing of such religious workes as belong to a Sabbath day And their reason for this is because God doth command the Iewes that on their day of expiation in which they were to afflict themselues with fasting they should doe no worke but that they should keepe it for a Sabbath of rest But this I take to be an errour at least I dare not charge it as a necessary duety in any mans conscience because I know no reason to enforce it For to mine vnderstanding the onely place of Scripture which seemeth to incline this way and vpon which they onely rest doth make nothing for it at all The place is in the sixteenth of Leuiticus but especially in the three and twentieth of the same Booke where the same words are repeated and the poynt more fully declared And therefore I will set downe the words there recorded that the Christian Reader may the better consider of the meaning and the more clearely see what to iudge of the reason The words then are these (a) Leuitic 23 27 28 29 30 31 32. On the tenth day of this moneth there shall be a day of Atonement it shall be an holy conuocation vnto you and yee shall afflict your soules and offer an offering made by fire vnto the Lord. And yee shall doe no worke in that same day for it is a day of Atonement to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God c. For better conceiuing of this Text we must note first that the summe and intention of this Chapter is to set downe the Feasts and the Holy-dayes of the Iewes which are heere reckoned vp to be the weekely Sabbath the Passeouer the Offering of the first fruits Pentecost the Feast of the Trumpets the day of Expiation and the feast of Tabernacles And concerning these it is said by way of preface in the beginning (b) Vers 2. Say vnto the children of Israel Concerning the
feasts of the Lord which yee shall proclaime to be holy Conuocations Euen these are my Feasts And after the enumeration of them it is said (a) Vers 37. These are the Feasts of the Lord which hee shall proclaime to be holy Conuocations to offer an offering made by fire vnto the Lord c. And in the end of the Chapter after all it is added And Moses declared vnto the children of Israel the Feasts of the Lord. And from hence it may be gathered that this day of expiation which is placed among these holy-dayes is intended as a festiual day rather than as a fasting day And therfore the fast or humiliation heere commanded is an appurtenance of the feast and a seruice required on that holy day this day was appointed to be kept for an holy day not because it was a fasting day Secondly wee may note in the description of this day that the chiefe thing for which this day was intended was for expiation and atonement Thirdly that the meanes by which this might be wrought and the things which God requireth for the celebration of this day were an holy rest a publique meeting an affliction of the soule and an offering made by fire And hence we may gather that an holy day and a fasting day are here ioyned as two things both of which respect one end And therefore it followeth not The people are here commanded to keepe an holy rest vpon this fasting day and therefore it is necessary that euery fasting day should be kept holy no more than this argument would follow from the same place Here the people are commanded to keepe this holy day with fasting and humiliation and therfore euery holy day must be a fasting day Fourthly We may note that the reason why God appoynted this day to be kept holy is said in the Text to bee this because it is a day of atonement for them before the Lord but it is not said that it was to be kept holy because it was a fasting day And hence I may conclude that the Text doth giue no warrant that euery fasting day must bee kept holy day Now let the Reader lay these notes and collections from the Text together and compare them with the reason brought to proue the contrary and hee will easily see how weake the argument is For the onely reason that euer I read or heard of from this Text for proofe of this conclusion is this God heere commanded this fasting day to be kept holy and therefore euery fasting day must be so kept Which being nothing but an inference of an vniuersall from a singular doth hereby appeare to bee weake and friuolous besides the reasons now alledged from the Text to the contrary And now after all seeing that this is the onely place on which this former conclusion is grounded and it hath so little reason in it as hath beene shewed it remayneth that to say euery fasting day of necessitie must bee an holy day is an errour without all ground of probability The thing then that I meane when I say that it is required that on the day of our fast the soule should practise such duties as a Fasting-day by the outward behauiour doth include is that as by fasting wee professe our sorrow for sinne with a purpose to serue God better and doe abstaine from fleshly comforts that wee may more freely enioy the comforts of the Spirit so a Christian should vse serious meditation and consideration of things requisite for this purpose As for example hee should examine his conscience search out the state of his soule settle in himselfe a purpose of amendment confesse his sinnes that make him vnworthy to taste any of Gods creatures and pray for grace to liue better And that these and such like holy thoughts and desires are requisite vpon our fasting dayes I am induced to thinke partly because in publique Fasts (a) Iudg. 20.26 2 Chron. 20.3 4. Ezrah 8.23 Ier. 36.6 9 10. Dan. 9.3 Ioel 1.14 v. Kemnit Exam. part 4. de causa finali ieiun nu 47. pag. 94. Serar in Iudith 8. q. 7. pag. 320. the Church hath beene accustomed to spend part of the day in publique meetings and in religious exercises and partly because that outward abstinence cannot of it selfe worke those gracious effects whereof I haue spoke before vnlesse the soule by consideration holy thoughts doe apply make vse of his outward humiliation to this purpose For fasting is not like physicke which worketh while a man sleepeth but then only affecteth the soule and pleaseth God when the heart maketh vse of it A plaine proofe whereof may be this Fasting hath this speciall vse among others that as the chastisements which GOD doth inflict vpon vs doe serue to humble vs and bring vs home by repentance so these chastisements voluntarily imposed vpon our selues may serue for like purpose as hath beene fully declared already But no outward chastisement whether of Gods inflicting or our owne can worke this effect vnlesse the man doe lay them to his heart and apply them to himselfe Hence it is that the Prophet complayneth of the people of Israel in this manner (a) Hos 7.9 Strangers haue deuoured his strength and hee knoweth it not yea gray haires are here and there vpon him yet he knoweth not In which words we may note two things first the corrections that were layd vpon them and they were that the Enemies had wasted and consumed them and these and other miseries had brought gray haires vpon them and made them old before the time Secondly the want of feeling in the people They know it not and againe Yet they know not saith the Text. But what Consumed by the Enemy and not know that they were strucken pined and become old with sorrow and not feele their misery No that is not the meaning they felt their misery no doubt But the Prophet meaneth that they did not take notice nor thinke and consider that it was Gods hand that inflicted this iudgement and their own sinnes that deserued it and therefore they were neuer the better for all this chastisement And therefore another Prophet complayning to like purpose saith (b) Isal 42.25 God powred vpon Israel the fury of his anger and the strength of battell and it hath set him on fire round about yet hee knew not and it burned him yet hee laid it not to heart Which words imply that no plagues moue men to repentance if they doe not lay them to heart and consider of the causes and the conditions and euents of such things And as Gods chastisements for want of laying them to heart are without their fruit for which they are intended so wee may not expect that our owne chastisements should proue better No for we see that (a) Gen. 25. Esau fasted and his hunger made him sell away his birth-right and (b) Matt. 6. the Pharises fasted and their fasts made them swell with pride
But if it were decay of zeale in those former Christians that they ceased their Fasts before night then it must needs be an extinction of zeale in the Romane Church who breaketh her Fast at the vsuall time of eating or rather doth not keepe any Fast so long And now out of all this we haue in the generall this cleare and manifest conclusion That though no precise time for continuance is prescribed in Gods Word yet the continuance of a Fast without eating or drinking till euening which by common estimation is held to be about sixe of the clocke is approued of in Scriptures and was practised by the ancient Christians and commended of all and that the shortening of this time was from decay of deuotion And therefore if wee would take a safe way and that which is best approued of all we must continue our abstinence on our fasting dayes till night without eating or drinking till about euening vnlesse infirmity or some other necessary cause doe require refreshing sooner But more particularly we may from the former discourse gather and obserue these things following 1. Wee may see that the Fast of Protestants which is continued in perfect abstinence from all meate and drinke till the euening is more agreeable to the custome of Gods people in former ages and is in it selfe a better and more perfect Fast then the Fast of Papists is euen our Enemies being Iudges For they praise it for a better Fast which hath the longer abstinence and we fast till night whereas they doe not so much as forbeare eating till mid-day 2. We may see with how little God is contented at our hands in respect of that which Christ performed for our sakes For abstinence for the space of one day is accepted of God for a good dutie of humiliation but Christ our Lord fasted forty dayes and forty nights for the furthering of our saluation And yet whereas Christ performed all this for our sakes we think it too much to doe this little for his sake Nay as the Iewes were wearie of the Sabbath day and times of Gods seruice and said (a) Amos 8.5 When will the new-moone be gone and the Sabbath that we may set foorth wheat And againe (b) Mal. 1.13 Behold what a wearinesse is it say they And ye haue snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hosts So we may finde men that when they come to heare a Sermon are weary of hearing and wish that the Sermon were ended before the time and when they come to Church-Seruice are weary of praying and wish that the Seruice were ended before the time but especially if they vndertake an holy Fast are sooner wearie of the Abstinence and wish that the fasting day were ended before the time But a good Christian for discouering of his owne corruption should take notice of this inequality between Christs sufferings for our sakes and our suffering for his sake And if the flesh grow weary of hearing or reading or praying or fasting for a conuenient requisite time he should check himselfe with the example of his Sauiour and say to himselfe But my Lord and Master preached all day and prayed all night and fasted many dayes and nights together for my sake and shall I grudge to spend one houre or one day in his seruice for his Names sake The religious soule that shall thus now and then checke his owne dulnesse will by the meditation heereof gaine more feruour in Gods seruice CHAP. X. What we are to thinke of the Fast of Lent THe Church from the beginning hath been accustomed to keepe an annuall Fast euery yeere commonly called Ieiunium Quadragesimale the fortie dayes Fast because it was continued about that number of dayes and was occasioned by this forty dayes Fast of our Sauiour Concerning which Quadragesimal or forty dayes Fast known among vs by the name of Lent or Lent Fast haue bin diuers opinions of late yeeres as there were diuers customes in keeping of it in former times For some haue magnified it too superstitiously placing Religion in outward things onely wherein the power of godlinesse could not consist and others haue scrupulously condemned all vse of it thinking that it could neuer be well vsed which they had seene so much abused In respect of which difference of opinions as also and especially because it is so proper to the argument in hand and hath such reference to the words of the Euangelist which I tooke for my ground I thought it not vnfit in the last place to enquire into the nature condiof this Lent Fast that amidst different opinions we might know what to thinke For which purpose I haue proposed to my selfe these 5 things to bee more particularly considered of 1. Who was the Author of it and from whence the institution of it came 2. How and in what sort it was kept in the ancient Church 3. What good vses it then had or now may haue among vs. 4. Why choyce was made of this season of the yeere for this Fast 5. What relation and what dependance this forty dayes Fast of Lent hath on Christs Fast of forty dayes in the Wildernesse I. The first thing is Who was the Author of it c. Answ I finde three speciall opinions concerning this point 1. The first opinion is that the Fast of Lent is of Diuine institution either appointed immediately by Christ himselfe or else ordained by the Apostles with authority and by the commandement of their Lord and Master a Dominus noster sanctis suis Apost olis per Spiritū S. id etiam inspirauit vt disertis verbis huius abstinentiae praeceptum populo Christiano proponerēt Pisan de Absti cap. 9. pa. 138. v. Filesa de Quadrag ca. 1. Ant. Liturg. tom 2. Sabb. post Cineres pag. 117. c. Azor. p. 1. lib. 7. cap. 12. q. 1. Of this opinion are many Popish Writers and to this purpose some of the Fathers speeches are alledged but their meaning is not that which at first sight it may seeme to bee 2. The second opinion is that it is of Apostolicall but not Diuine institution They meane that the Apostles did ordaine Lent-Fast as beeing in their iudgements a wholesome and most conuenient order but not as being any commandement receiued from God or from Iesus Christ And of b Non fuit datū subsequentibus tēporibus sed ab ipsis Apostolis initio nascentis Ecclesiae c. Val. Reginal Prax. fori poenit l. 4. ca. 12. nu 129. p. 148. v. et Vas to 3. in 3. Disp 213. nu 4. pag. 444.2 Ioh. Medina Cod. de Ieiun quaest 2. pa. 328. Less de Iustit Iure l. 4. c. 2. Dubitat 5. num 29. seqq pa. 722.2 Filliuc Tract 27. part 2. ca. 5. nu 77 78. nu 95. Bell. de bo oper in partle l. 2. cap. 14. Stapl. prompt Cathol Domin 1. Quadrag p. 84 85. Tost Mat. 4. q. 18. Barrad to a. l. 2. c.
death passion should bee celebrated with all thankfulnes about the same season in which he endured them a Ieiunandum orandum est Et quando potiùs quando instantiùs quà m propinquante Dominicae passionis solennitate quae celebritate anniuersariâ quodāmodo nobis eiusdē noctis memoriâ resculpitur ne obliuione deleatur Aug. de Diuer Serm. 74. c. 5. pag. 499. B. And the maner in which such sufferings of his may be most liuely represented and remembred by vs is if we passe those dayes in humiliation and sorrow whereby we may bee made conformable to his passion and death and by which wee may in a good sence be said to fulfill that which Christ did foretell when he said (b) Luk. 5.35 The dayes will come when the Bridegroome shall be taken away from them then shall they fast in those dayes And sure God himselfe by so obscuring the sunne that contrary to the course of nature it was darkened all the time that Christ was on the Crosse doth teach vs with what behauiour we should passe the time of his Sonnes sufferings and death And from hence I may conclude in St. Augustines words c c In qua parte anni congruentiùs obseruatio Quadragesimae constitueretur nisi confini atque continuà Dominicae passloni Aug. epist 119. ad Ianuar. cap. 15. pa. 195. f. In what part of the yeere could Lent haue bin more fitly placed then in that which is ioyned to our Lords passion and death Secondly because the Feast of Easter was now at hand and that was the day in which our Lord rose againe from his graue in which new Conuerts were baptized in great number and in which all sorts of men did come in flockes to the receiuing of the Lords Supper And therefore as the Euangelist saith of the Iewes Easter (a) Ioh. 19.31 that that was an high day so it may much more be said of the Christians Easter that it is an high day and to bee kept with all celebrity and in the most deuoutest manner And in respect heereof the Ancients were wont to keepe this Feast not for one day onely or for three dayes space as wee now doe but for a whole weeke together Yea and some festiuity and remembrance of it they kept for sixe weekes more euen till Whitsontide or the day of Pentecost Now that the great celebrity of this high day might be performed with better deuotion and more religious reioycing the ancient Fathers thought it necessarie that men should bee prepared aforehand for the performance of so weighty a seruice And therefore as the Iews (b) 2 Chron. 35.6 Ioh. 11.55 had their dayes of preparation before the Passeouer and as Christians haue their fasting eues to goe before their festiuall dayes that by their former dayes repentance they may be prepared for an holy reioycing the next day after so the Christian Church did thinke it necessary before this great Feast of Christs Resurrection to appoint some large and solemne time for humiliation and conuersion that men being prepared by a serious practice of al good duties they might be the more fit to pray for the new Conuerts and to receiue the blessed Sacrament and to praise God for his Sons Resurrection and to passe this holy day with an holy and heauenly reioycing And these I take it were the true reasons V. The fift and last question concerning Lent is What relation this Fast of fortie dayes in the Church hath to that of our Sauiour when he fasted forty dayes in the Wildernesse Answ To this question there bee three answeres 1. That our Lord as himselfe fasted fortie dayes in the manner declared so he appointed and ordained that his Disciples the whole Church after him should follow his example and fast once in the yeere so many dayes as he had done before in the wildernesse This seemeth to bee the opinion of (a) Enchitid lo. de Ieiun pag. 563. in solutione sextae oblectionis Coster and (b) de Quadr. cap. 1. pag. 392. seqq Filesacus and the (c) To. 2. Sabbatho post Cineres pag. 117 118. Author of the Booke called Antiquitates Liturgicae Answ 2. The second answere is that though Christ did not in words giue any such Law or appoint any such order yet his bare example doth tye Christians to the like obseruation practice Of this opinion some later Diuines in the Roman Church may seeme to bee who as (d) Quidam iuniores consent esse iure Diuino sancitum id probant quia aliqui veteres Ecclesia Patres videntur decuisse illud esse iuris Diuini quoniā Christus quadraginla diebus quadra ginta noctibus iejunium seruauit Azor. Instit part 1. l. 7. cap. 12. q. 1. pa. 566. col t. Azorius saith of them did thinke that Dent-Fast was by Diuine Law because some of the Fathers seeme to say that it was of Gods appoynting for that Christ did fast forty dayes and forty nights But these two answeres haue small shew of probability and no ground of certainety at all For all the reason that they alledge is so farre as I know only the authorities of some Fathers which haue not that meaning as Doctors of their owne Chruch haue endeuoured to declare Answ 3. The third answere is that neither Christs precept nor practice doth force or require Christians to keepe a Fast of fortie dayes or this which we call our Lent-Fast but yet the Church did appoint and doth obserue this number of daies in their Lent-Fast with respect and reference to the like number of dayes that Christ fasted in the wildernesse To this purpose Tostatus seemeth to speake when he saith that a Dicendū quòd hoc non prouenit ex alique mandato Christi sed ex solo Ecclesiae statuto Habuit tamen illud causas pendentes ex hoc facto Tostat in Mat. 4. q. 18. our fortie dayes Fast doth not proceede from any precept of Christ but onely from the constitution of the Church yet it had saith he reasons drawne from this Fast of Christ And Stapleton b Ieiunat igitur Ecclesia 40. diebus ad exemplum Christi non quide simpliciter quia Christus sic fecit sed quia eius exemplo sic faciendum esse in hac parte eius vesligia sequenda esse Ecclesia ab Apostolorū tempore docuit Stap. Prompt Cathol Dominic 1. Quadr. text 1. pag. 78. The Church saith he doth fast fortie dayes after the example of Christ not simply because Christ did so but because the Church hath taught vs by his example to doe so Which words may againe seeme to carrie the like meaning But it mattereth not what they mean (c) D. Field of the Church l. 3. cap. 19. pag. 105 106. A reuerend and learned Writer in our own Church hath deliuered the poynt in much more distinct maner Hee saith three things 1. That it is very fit there
be a solemne time at least once in the yeere wherein men may call themselues to an account for all their negligences repent them of all their euill doings and with Prayers fastings and mournings turne vnto the Lord. 2. That this time of the yeere was chosen as fittest both because that herein we remember the sufferings of Christ for our sinnes as also for that after this meditation of Christs sufferings his ioyfull Resurrection doth immediately present it selfe vnto vs in the dayes following c. 3. That for the limitation of the number of dayes men had an eye to Christs Fast of forty daies as to a conuenient direction His meaning is that the Church vpon the former grounds being to appoint a number of dayes for this solemne seruice and worke of humiliation did make choice of forty dayes the rather because Christ had fasted forty dayes for our sakes Neither is this without good ground and reason For first the very number of the same dayes might serue for a more liuely expression and remembrance of Christs Fast for oursakes To which purpose God himselfe saith in a like case vnto the rebellious Iewes (a) Num. 14.34 After the number of the dayes in which ye searched the Land euen forty dayes each day for a yeere shall ye beare your iniquities euen forty yeeres In which passage we may note three things 1. That GOD did proportion the punishment to the sinne that it might carry the more liuely representation of it This I gather hence because he saith After the number c. for that implyeth that God did regulate the punishment by the offence 2. That this proportion betweene the sinne and the punishment consisted in the paritie or equality of the same number obserued in them both 3. That though there was this proportion and likenes of the number yet there was a disproportion and vnlikenes in the matter of that number For their sinne was acted in fortie dayes but their punishment was to be suffered for fortie yeeres and yet notwithstanding this dissimilitude in the things numbred the likenes in the very number it selfe did serue to keepe a fresh remembrance of the fact And so in our Lent-Fast there is a great difference betweene the manner of Christs Fast and of ours because hee fasted altogether without tasting any thing which we can no way reach vnto but doe come as farre short of it as forty dayes are short of forty yeeres yet in as much as we keepe the same number of dayes in our Fast that he kept in his this very agreement in the number may serue to represent vnto vs and to keepe a remembrance of that Fast of our Sauiour And this may be one reason why the Church might well make choyce of the same number of dayes for their yeerely and solemne Fast which our Lord had vsed before in his Fast in the Wildernesse Secondly the Church might iustly make choice of the same number of dayes that Christ fasted because the vsing of the same number might serue as a meanes to expresse our affection and loue to our Sauiour For euen among men children that desire to honour the memory of their Fathers will sometimes say I will doe this thing or I will obserue that order because my Father or Grandfather was wont to doe so before me And a kinde man after the death of his friend or benefactor whom he doth reuerence and respect will keepe some customes and vse some courses the rather because it was the manner of that man whom he doth honour to doth so And finally all of vs vse to say of them that be in loue or doe tenderly affect one another that they loue the very ground on which each of them doth tread And all this sheweth that where there is loue and respect there men doe desire to conforme themselues in euery manner they may to the actions and behauiour of those whom they doe affect and loue And so in this case the Church might shew loue and respect to her Redeemer by making choice of that number of dayes for her Fast which hee had vsed in his I may then I hope not without ground say that the Church did appoint fortie dayes for Lent-Fast with an eye to the forty dayes Fast of our Sauiour as willing and that for good reason to keepe the same number of dayes that he had done Now out of all this we haue three Corollaries which I will add for the conclusion of this whole point 1. Coroll That our Church hath great reason to wish as she doth that the old Discipline of Lent might be restored againe For the thing in it selfe is very effectuall to purge sinne and worke amendment of life and the time is very fitly chosen to conforme vs to the sufferings of Christ and to fit vs for the celebrity of his Resurrection because hauing purged out the old leuen of sin we may then keepe the feast with the vnleauened bread of syncerity and truth yea and the very number of dayes allotted for this seruice is not without some good vse to keepe the fresher remembrance of our Lords tentations and fastings 2. Coroll That they ouershoote themselues in a mis-gouerned zeale who to crosse the superstitions of Rome do make these ancient fasting daies the vsual times of their feasting For in so doing they doe not onely shew themselues vnlike to the ancient Christians whose example it is our glory to follow in their lawfull courses but they doe also without cause obliterate a good memoriall of their Sauiours mercies I like their zeale in purging out of Popish superstition but I should like it better if it were ioyned with moderation and wisedome such for example sake as Ezekiah and the Priests did vse in purging of the Temple And that was this (a) 2 Chro. 29.16 They brought out all the vncleannes that they found in the Temple of the Lord into the Court of the House of the Lord and the Leuites tooke it to carry it out abroad into the brooke Kidron And when they had thus cleansed all the House of the Lord then (b) Vers 21. c. they brought bullocks and rammes and Lambes and hee goates and offered sacrifices and performed the wonted seruice to the Lord in his Temple Where we see they did not pull downe the Temple because of the superstitions or abominations rather with which Ahaz and the Idolaters of that time had defiled it but they purged out the superstition and kept the Temple still for its wonted holy vses And so it were a commendable zeale if men would purge the ancient fasting dayes of the Church and carrie out the superstitions with which Popery hath defiled them and cast them into some riuer or rather into some sea that they may neuer apeare any more in the Chrian world But as it had beene too much violence then to pull downe the Temple for the vncleannes sake that was in it so it is too much violence now
may fast with full stomachs Saint Basil met with some such in his dayes whom he warneth and threatneth for it Praua est cogitatio c. It is a gracelesse thought saith he to say with our selues (b) Hom. 2. de Ieiun pag. 336. A. Now the fasting dayes are bidden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs therefore now drowne our selues in swilling excesse For will any man saith he when he is to marry a chaste Matrone make an introduction to such a marriage by bringing Strumpets into his house And in the places of Popish ignorance it is a most vsuall practice c Conamur per crapulam lasciuiam vlcisci dieâ—â—etunij quasique de ieiunioa enturo sumere poeâ—as â—â—lesa de Quaâ—â—â— cap. 12. 〈◊〉 70. to make way for Lent Fast by surfeting at Shrouetide But a religious Christian should consider that if he meane to fast rightly he must make his abstinence to be a chastening to nature which cannot be if his fasting be but a forbearing of meate till his former gluttonie be concocted II. Secondly there is required in a true Fast that our other carriage and behauiour be suteable to this of our fasting My meaning is that as wee chasten and afflict the body by abstinence from meate so we should doe by refraining from the other delights and comforts of nature For else the other pleasure would vndoe that which by fasting we seeke to effect because they will hinder our humiliation and repentance Nor is it seemely to ioyne gay clothes and sweet perfumes and pleasant musicke and frolike behauiour with this exercise of humiliation and sorrow no more then it is for him that weareth a mourning gowne for his friends death to flaunt it in a white hat and a gay feather and a coloured suite at the same time And for this cause it is that in Scriptures where fasting is spoken of there is mention also of sackcloth and ashes and hard lodging and forbearing of perfumes As for example (a) Dan. 10.3 Daniel forbore sweet oyntments And (b) 2. Sam. 12.16 Dauid lay all night vpon the earth And (c) Ester 4.1 Mordecai put on sackcloth and besprent himselfe with ashes And the (d) Ionas 3.6 King of Nineueh layed off his robe and couered himselfe with sack-cloth and sate in ashes And (e) Ioel 2.16 Ioel requireth Let the Bridegroome goe foorth of his Chamber and the Bride out of her Closet And our (f) Mar. 2.19 Luk. 5.34 Lord saith The children of the Bride-chamber cannot fast while the Bridegroome is with them The meaning is that Marriage-mirth is vnseasonable in a time of fasting And therefore if a Fast must be kept let the Bridegroome goe foorth of his wedding Chamber as Ioel speaketh or if Marriage-mirth bee necessary let the humiliation of fasting be deferred till an other time as our Sauiour implyeth And because of this disproportion between mirth and fasting God reiecteth the Fast of the Iewes for this cause among others because in the day of their Fast they found pleasure And from the consideration of these things it is that the Hebrewes were wont in their Fasts (a) Ainsw on Leu. 16.29 to abstaine from foure things that import mirth and reioycing from washing themselues from anoynting from fine apparell and from the vse of the marriage bed And so when wee fast all our behauiour must bee such as beseeme mourning the condition of a deiected suppliant b An putatis illuÌ„ ieiunare qui primo diluculo non ad Ecclesiam vigilat sed surgens congregat seruulos disponit retia cánes producit saltus syluasque per lustrat Ambros to 5. ser 4â— pag. 58. v. Aug. de Diuers Ser. 74. cap. 8. At least thus much is necessary that we abstaine from all delights of the world that be disproportionable to the state of a mournfull penitent III. Thirdly there is required in a true Fast that the inward affection of the heart be answerable to the outward behauiour of the body that is that as by abstaining from the comforts of this life we chasten the body so by a godly sorrow and vnfained repentance we humble our soules for our sinnes And because true repentance includeth or implyeth amendment of life and an heartie practice of all good duties therfore it is to be vnderstood that with a true Fast there is necessarily required an holy life And the reason hereof is plaine because God doth not care for the opus operatum the bare worke done nor doth fasting please him because it is an abstinence from meat but because it is a signe of repentance and an help to true deuotion and an holy life To this purpose we finde God speaking to the Iewes (a) Zach. 7.5 When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seuenth moneth did ye at all fast vnto mee euen to mee As if he should say Ye did it not for my sake and I owe you no thankes for it nor doe I take it as a part of my seruice But why was it not done for Gods sake and to his seruice The reason is intimated in the words following (b) vers 9 10.11 12. The Lord said Execute true iudgement and shew mercy and compassion euery man to his brother and oppresse not the widdow c. But they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder c. And to like purpose but more plainely in another place (c) Isa 58.4 Yee fast saith God for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednes Ye shall not fast as ye doe this day to make your voyce to be heard on high Is it such a Fast that I haue chosen Wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable day to the Lord Hee meaneth that they fasted as if they repented for their sinne and meant to serue God but they while they kept their Fast continued in their sinnes and that this was not a true Fast that God euer did require or would accept But if this bee not the true Fast what then is Why It followeth in the next words (d) vers 6 7. Is not this the Fast that I haue chosen to loose the hands of wickednes to vndoe the heauie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free that ye breake euery yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that are cast out to thy house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him c The summe and intent of which words is that a true Fast such as God doth require and will requite is to be ioyned with the practice of good workes For the manner of speech is like to that of Saint Iames where he saith Iames 2.27 that pure religion and vndefiled is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdowes in their affliction and keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Where hee meaneth not that religion which is a dutie toward GOD doth formally consist
that may make all our prayers the more effectuall is if they be feruent and with feeling and one condition on which God doth grant some petitions is if they proceede from a soule humbled with fasting For as our Lord saith that there is a kinde of Diuels that cannot bee driuen out but by prayer and fasting so I may say that some sinnes may be pardoned and some iudgements auerted and some blessings obtained by prayer ioyned with ordinary humiliation and repentance for it cannot be expected that wee should fast so often as we may and ought to pray yet some sinnes there may be of so deepe a dye that ordinary sorrow may not be admitted for their expiation and some blessings there may be of that worth and of that importance that they may seeme too lightly esteemed if they were too easily obtayned And of such I may say these kinds of sinnes are not pardoned and these kinds of blessings are not obtayned but by prayer and fasting And if the pardon of greater sinnes and the purchase of greater gifts bee to be sought for by prayer and fasting then in the lesser of them we shall speede the sooner if we come in the same manner If then wee desire to make our prayers powerfull and to pierce the heauens we must help to list them vp with this wing of fasting as the Fathers call it 3. We may hence gather how necessary fasting is for all sorts and at all times and in speciall for our selues in these dayes For to say nothing of the spirituall helps that it hath for increase of grace and deuotion which alone consideration should moue any Christian if not to be in loue with it yet at least to giue way to it and to insist only in the further blessings now mentioned who is there that is not priuie to himselfe of some sinne which without pardon may be his ruine And who is there that either doth not now suffer or may not iustly feare some iudgement hereafter which hee would gladly preuent or auoyd And againe who is there that doth not want and desire some blessing gift of God that may greatly concerne his body or his soule or his estate But if any man be so happy as to haue need of none of these mercies or rather so vnhappy as not to feele know that he hath need of them all or at least many of them yet if wee looke abroad vpon the face of the Christian world wee may see many of our brethren that serue the same Lord robbed of their goods depriued of their liberty butchered in their own dwellings yea and many houses burned downe Townes laid waste fields left vntilled and streets and high-wayes swimming in bloud and enduring al other miseries which the cruelty of bloody warres and insolency of proud Conquerers doe vse to bring with them And beside all this who can tell whose turne is next and at whose doore the Trumpet may blow Quis talia fando temperet à lachrymis A compassionate Christian cannot thinke on this without watery eyes and a bleeding heart And therefore if wee should haue no present cause of our owne yet if there bee any bowels within vs we haue great cause to weepe and wish with Ieremie that our eyes were a fountaine of teares to bemone the miseries of our brethren and the distresse of Gods Church And how much greater cause then haue wee with Ezrah and Nehemiah Daniel to humble our selues before our God and with fasting and weeping and sorrow to intreate Gods fauour for his Church that he will be gracious to his people will spare his owne inheritance and will at length turne againe the captiuity of his Zion that wee may reioyce in his saluation and giue him thankes in the great Congregation Surely if in such cases any man can thinke that there is no neede of fasting I must needes say I cannot but thinke that hee hath no feeling CHAP. VI. Why Christ fasted at this time HItherto I haue spoken of Fasting in abstracto as it may be considered in by it selfe It followeth now to say something of it in subiecto as it was vsed by our Sauiour And hereof the Euangelist saith Hee fasted forty dayes and forty nights which words being ioyned with that which is said in the first verse that then hee was led into the wildernesse and fasted meaning after hee was baptized and as it were now consecrated for his publique ministery doe giue vs occasion to enquire into and to consider of these fiue poynts 1. Why Christ fasted at this time 2. Why hee fasted so long 3. When wee should or may lawfully fast 4. How long wee should continue our fasts 5. What wee are to thinke of the forty dayes Fast commonly called Lent-fast And first Why our Lord did fast at this time I finde nothing expresly said in the Text but by considering the circumstances of Christs fast and by comparing other Scriptures with this Text wee may conceiue diuers reasons of his so doing which will be profitable for vs to take notice of which so far as I do now apprehend may be these I. First wee may well thinke that he fasted that hereby he might performe a part of that humiliation and those sufferings which hee voluntarily vndertooke for our sakes For our Lord beeing equall with God and farre aboue the infirmities of our nature (a) Philip. 2.6 7 8. tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and humbled himselfe euen vnto death In which his humiliation there be diuers steps and degrees For the last and greatest and that which is the perfection of all was his death and passion vpon the Crosse and yet his meane birth his poore estate his reproches in the world his want of things necessary his debilities of nature and other such infirmities and wants were all of them as preparatiues to his death and parts of those sufferings which hee sustained for our sinnes For which cause it is that the Apostle doth not onely say that (b) Rom. 5.8 hee dyed for vs but saith also that (c) 2 Cor. 8.9 hee beeing rich became poore for our sakes And so by the same reason wee may say that he being God became man for our sakes and being strong became weake for our sakes and being glorious became contemptible for our sakes and beeing Lord of all became destitute of all things for our sakes And so in like sort hee sweat and feared and fasted and thirsted and hungred and all for our sakes And therefore of his fasting the thing that is proper to this place the Church speaketh thus in her prayers (a) Collect on the first Sunday in Lent O Lord which for our sakes didst fast forty dayes and forty nights This then I take to be one reason He therefore fasted in this manner and the rather perhaps at this time when he was in more speciall manner to goe about the worke of our saluation because it
was a part of those sufferings which hee did vndergoe for our sakes Where by the way we may reflect vpon our selues and tell our owne soules that if our Lord did doe all these things for our sakes wee should not thinke much to doe a little for his sake but more especially seeing hee fasted so many dayes and nights for vs wee should not grudge to fast a little now and then for him But how for him For I suppose all men will be ready to say that if they knew they should fast for Christs sake as hee fasted for ours that then they would doe it with a good-will or else it were pitty of their liues To such men if any shall make such demand my answer is Wee may truly be said to fast for Christs sake many wayes As first if we fast that we may with more reuerence and better attention and greater feruour performe holy dueties vnto him In which kinde they fast for Christ who when they come to Church to heare and pray and prayse God and to partake of the blessed Sacrament of Christs body doe forbeare their meate that they may bee more fresh to attend to those holy dueties and because they doe preferre Gods seruice before their owne necessity and doe loue the Word and the Sacrament more than their necessary food Secondly wee may be said to fast for Christ if wee fast that wee may subdue those sinnes that nayled Christ to his Crosse and which if wee commit them doe (a) Heb. 6.6 crucifie againe the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him And in this kinde they fast for Christ who forbeare their meat that they may sorrow for their sinnes and may arme themselues against temptations and bring vnder their body that their flesh doe not wax wanton against Christ Thirdly wee may fast for Christs sake if wee forbeare to feed our selues that wee may haue wherewith to relieue others who beeing the poore members of Christ haue neede of our supply For what is done to any one of those little ones is esteemed as done to Christ himselfe And sure if Christ did fast so long that hee might supply vs it were both sinne and shame not to forbeare a meale if need require that wee may cherish Christ in his members In this manner and by these meanes wee may be said to fast for Christ Let vs make vse of them in our practice and wee shall hereby shew our loue to our Sauiour as hee by fasting forty dayes for vs shewed his great loue vnto vs. II. A second cause why our Lord fasted at this time may be that hee might by this meanes prouoke Sathan to begin his assault The declaration and proofe of this assertion dependeth vpon two things first that his fasting was a fit occasion that might prouoke the Deuill to the on-set secondly that Christ was willing to giue him such an occasion And first that this was a fit occasion appeareth by 2. things 1. Because when men are in distresse then is the Deuils opportunity to tempt them eyther to distrust God because hee leaueth them without reliefe or to vse vnlawfull meanes that they may relieue themselues 2. Because the euent sheweth that Christs hunger caused by his fasting was the occasion that Sathan tooke to assault him For when he saw him fainting for want of bread then hee thought it a fit time to say If thou be the Sonne of God command that this stone bee made bread And what the euent did make manifest afterward that our Lord knew very well before-hand Secondly That our Lord was willing to giue the Deuill such an occasion to prouoke him to the combat may appeare by two things also 1. Because it was Gods will to haue it so as is euident by this that the Spirit of God led him into the wildernesse to be tempted of the Deuill and Christs will was euer agreeable to the will of his Father 2. Because Christ did so thirst after our saluation that hee refused no paynes nor no danger to procure it Hee left heauen that he might become man for vs hee tooke our base nature that hee might beare our infirmities and he went vp to Ierusalem that hee might be crucified and hee came into the world that hee might saue the world by his sufferings And so seeing the temptations of Sathan by which hee assaulted our Sauiour might be profitable for vs and auaileable for our saluation for so Sathan might be ouercome at his owne weapon and wee armed against his assaults afterward wee neede not doubt but as the Spirit led Christ into the wildernesse to be tempted of the Deuill so our Lord himselfe would fast and hunger that the Deuill might assault him And heere againe by the way a Christian may haue a good meditatiō from his Masters practice that seeing Christ was ready to fight against the Deuill for our sakes wee should not feare to stand out against men for his sake But if Religion be a cause that wee are questioned by Enemies or disgraced by worldlings or kept from preferment by great Ones wee must beare oppositions of men for loue to Christ as hee bore these temptations of the Deuill for loue vnto vs. III. A third cause may be that by this exercise of fasting hee might prepare and fit himselfe for the great worke that hee was about For hee was now to enter vpon his Propheticall Office and to begin the publique function of his Ministery And in this and such like cases as this Gods seruants haue vsed to make preparation by fasting and prayers as may bee seene in the example of (a) Act. 13.3 Paul and Barnabas and (b) Act. 14.23 other Presbyters of diuers Churches And therefore seeing our Lord here fasted for a long space and that at such a time as he was to enter vpon the ministery of the Gospell we may well thinke that this is one reason of his fasting that hee might prepare himselfe for this great seruice Onely the doubt may be But what needed our Lord any such preparation For 1. hee was not defectiue in any grace For God (a) Ioh. 3.34 gaue not the spirit to him by measure but he was (b) Ioha 14. full of grace and truth 2. Our Lord was an innocent (c) 1 Pet. 1.19 Lambe without blemish and without spot And what needed hee such preparatiue helps that had all grace and no sinne I answere there be three reasons hereof First that he might stirre vp and inflame and as yee would say actuate the grace which he had already To this purpose it is that when hee was to pray he (d) Mat. 14.23 went into a mountaine or some other priuate place alone ardentioris orationis causâ that he might pray the more feruently say the Learned And so againe when he was to raise vp La Zarus (e) Ioh. 11.33 he groaned and was troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he troubled himselfe that is he stirred vp his
sorrow and moued his bowels vnto compassion and pitty Secondly that he might confirme and radicate and I thinke I may say that he might in some fort increase the graces that he had For the Scriptures say that he tooke vpon him our infirmities (f) Heb. 2.17.18 that he might be a mercifull and faithful High-priest and that (g) Heb. 5.8 he learned obedience by that which hee suffered and that (h) Heb. 12.2 he endured the Crosse and despised the shame for the ioy that was set before him and that in his greatest sorrow Luk. 22.43 an Angel came to strengthen him By which speeches we may gather that his feeling of our wants and his bearing of afflictions and his consideration of future ioyes and the prefence and conference of an Angell did increase or confirme his compassion toward vs and his obedience to his Father and his patience and his courage in his conflicts or else I know not what they meane and whereto they serue And if they intend thus much then by the same reason we may say that his praying and fasting and meditating might serue to increase or confirme or preserue the graces of the spirit which did enable him for his office Thirdly hee vsed this preparation that he might obtaine a blessing vpon his labours that they might become profitable to the Hearers For so we reade that he still vsed to commend businesses to Gods blessing When he fed the people (a) Mat. 14.19 he looked vp to heauen and blessed and brake and gaue them c. that is He prayed for a blessing vpon the meat and so when he consecrated the Sacrament (b) Mat. 26.26 he blessed it And when he was to leaue the world and to send his Disciples to supply his place of preaching (c) Ioh. 17.20 hee prayed not only for the Preachers but for them also that should beleeue through their word And so it is reasonable also to thinke that Christ did now fast and pray for a blessing vpon the word that hee was to preach and vpon the people to whom hee was to preach Thus in diuers good respects our Lord might vse his fasting for a preparation to fit him for his publike office and because we cannot conceiue that our Lord would omit an exercise so good and so proper for his present occasion we may wel suppose that one cause of his fasting was to prepare himselfe for this great seruice of his Ministery IIII. A fourth and last cause why Christ fasted heere may bee that he might giue vs an example by his owne practice For as a wise and carefull Physician will sometime iuste the Physicke which he prescribeth that he may encourage his patient to take it so our Lord vpon occasion did many things for our example So the Apostle saith Christ (a) 1. Pet. 2.21 suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps And when our Lord had washed his Disciples feete himselfe telleth them his reason (b) Ioh. 13.15 I haue giuen you an example saith he that ye should doe as I haue done vnto you And so seeing he vsed fasting heere before the entrance of his publike seruice and calling he might doe it for this reason among others that he might leaue vs an example vpon the like occasion to vse the like practice And from hence we haue two conclusions that may further commend the holy vse of a religious Fast 1. That an holy Fast is a good exercise to begin our Callings all important businesses withall For not onely Moses when he was to receiue the Law and Elias when he was to restore the Law but Iesus Christ himselfe when he was to perfect the Law did fast and pray before they vndertooke the worke and so if any of vs be to enter vpon a calling or to vndergoe some great seruice if for example we be called to bee Magistrates or are to enter vpon the state of marriage or to begin a trade or profession in the world or to vndertake any waighty matter it is a good rule and we haue good authority for it to consecrate our entrance by an holy Fast And sure I am perswaded it is one great cause that we haue oftentimes so little comfort in the execution of our places because we vse so little Religion in our entrance into them But if wee would follow Christs steps we might hope for his blessing to direct vs. 2. That an holy Fast hath a proper vse in the consecrating and ordayning of Ministers for the seruice of the Church Our Lord vsed it heere when he was consecrated and appointed for his Ministery and the Apostolicall Church by his example vsed it when Paul and Barnabas and other Elders were to be sent abroad for preaching of the Gospell and the Christian Church afterward by example of Christ and his Apostles haue appointed the foure solemn times of fasting to be the set and solemn times for giuing of Orders and for sending of Ministers into the Church And their warrant is Christs example and the practice of the Apostles and the Apostolicall Church The common neglect of which times and this holy exercise to be vsed at those times and for this purpose may bee one reason why the Church is not better prouided of Teachers and the people are not more profited by their labours For redresse whereof it were to be wished that publike Authority would appoint some publike meetings at those times that by fasting and prayer we might commend that great worke to Gods blessing with one consent of heart But because it is not in the power of priuate men to make publike orders euery Christian shall doe well in his deuotions at home by fasting and Prayer to begge a blessing on that sacred worke that God would direct the Fathers of our Church to admit fit men to that sacred function and would enable the then ordained Ministers to profit the Church by their labours and would sanctifie all to make vse of his Word and the publike Ministery while we haue it and doe enioy it CHAP. VII Why Christ fasted forty dayes and forty nights IN relating of our Sauiours Fast the Euangelist setteth downe the continuance of the time He fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights saith hee In which words wee haue two things to consider of 1. Why the Euangelist mentioneth nights as well as dayes 2. Why our Lord made choyce of this number of dayes to determine his Fast by I. And for the former question Why the Euangelist mentioneth nights as well as dayes the answere is he did it lest any man should thinke that though he fasted by day yet he did eate at night For it is true indeed that the name of dayes doth many times include the nights also especially if the condition of the things spoken of be such as what is said of thē for the day time is left to be vnderstood of the night time too As when it is
said (a) Luk. 1.74 75. that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we might serue God without feare all the dayes of our life the name of dayes includeth the whole space till the end of the time mentioned because the seruice of God is such as may not be neglected either by night or day And so when it is said of Lazarus (b) Ioh. 11.39 that he had beene dead foure dayes the meaning is that he was dead all that while both by night and day because men that are dead by day doe not vse to liue by night and then dye the next day againe And so againe when it is said of Saul that hee was three dayes without sight the meaning is that hee was blinde for so many dayes and so many nights And the reason is the same because if a man be blind for so many dayes it cannot be conceiued that he had his sight in the night time In these such like cases the conditiō of the things is such that what is said of thē for the day must be taken for the night too And in such cases there is no neede to mention the nights But yet sometimes as when the speech is of such things which though they happen in the day yet are vsed to be intermitted in the night then the name of the dayes doth not include the night also As when it is said of Laban that he pursued after Iacob (c) Gen. 31.23 seuen dayes iourney the meaning is he followed so farre as a man may or doth vse to goe in the space of seuen dayes not counting the nights because men that trauell by day are supposed to take vp their lodging and rest in the night time And so if a man should hire an ordinary day-labourer to worke with him for two or three daies all men would vnderstand the bargaine to be made of working in the day and not in the night time but if a Mariner should bee hyred to labour in a ship by sea or a nurse to attend a sicke partie for the same number of dayes euery man would construe that both of day and night because such labours and paines as the mariner and nurse do take in such cases are to be continued aswell by night as by day Now when the speech is of such things as being done in the day may be intermitted or vse to be intermitted by night then the name of dayes doth not include or comprize the nights also And so it falleth out in this matter of fasting For when the Iewes were to fast for many dayes together their maner was to abstaine from meate all the day Chap. 1. p. 7 8. but at night to eate a sparing meale as I haue declared in another place already And hereupon the Learned doe obserue that the Iewes when they speake of many dayes Fast without mentioning the nights they vnderstand it commonly of fasting onely in the day time till euening and that when they meane that a Fast is continued for diuers dayes without eating any thing at night then for distinction sake and that their meaning may be plaine they adde the nights too as when Ester saith to the Iewes (a) Ester 4.16 Fast ye for me and neither eate nor drinke three dayes night or day And so in this place Saint Mathew saith that Christ fasted forty dayes and forty nights lest any man should conceiue that hee abstained all day for that space but did refresh himselfe in the euening II. The second question is Why our Lord made choyce of this number of fortie to determine his fasting by This question may admit two constructions and so receiue two answers accordingly For first it may be vnderstood of the precise number of fortie why iust so many dayes without missing either vnder or ouer Or secondly it may be meant of an extraordinary number of dayes and space of time that is why hee fasted so many dayes and nights as it exceedeth mans strength to endure without eating 1. If wee take it in the former sense then I thinke I may safely say as many of the Learned doe that our Lord did make choyce of this number of dayes that hee might therein conforme himselfe to the two great Prophets of the Old Testament Moses and Elias For Moses was the giuer of the Law and Elias was the restorer of the Law and both were in their kinde the most excellent Prophets that the old Church had and both of them for the confirmation of their calling and to gaine credit to their places did fast forty dayes and forty nights when they were to speake with God in the Mount as it is recorded of Moses Exod. 34.28 Deut. 9.9 and of Elias 1 King 19.8 a Quadragesima same ieiuniorum habet autoritatē in veteribus librie ex ieiunio Mosi Heliae et ex Euāgelio quia totidē diobus Dominus ieiunauit demonstrans Euangelium nō dissentire à Loge Prophetis In persona quippe Mosi Lex in persona Heliae Prophetae accipiuntur inter quos et in mōte gloriosus apparuit vt euidentius emineret quod de illo dicit Apostolus testimonium habens à Lege Prophetis August Epist 119. ad Ianuar. cap. 15. pag. 195. f. Now our Lord to shew that he was not inferior to either of these great Prophets and that they did consent and agree with him thought good to begin his Ministery as they did theirs with a miraculous Fast of forty dayes To which purpose wee likewise reade that when our Lord was transfigured in the Mount (a) Matt. 17.3 Luk. 9.30.31 Moses and Elias appeared vnto him and talked with him and spake of his death and passion And this did serue for a cleare confirmation of Christs calling and authority that these two speciall and principall Prophets did both concurre to beare witnesse of him and hereby it appeared that the Gospell had witnesse of the Law and the Prophets as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 3.21 But then the question may be further Why did Moses fast forty dayes and forty nights and that at two seuerall times when he was with God in the Mount And hereto I answere that many both ancient and moderne Writers especially those that be in the Church of Rome doe say that there was a mystery in this number and that that was the reason why both Moses and Elias and our Sauiour also did fast that space of time but eyther they say not what that mystery was or else they proue not what they say nay themselues cannot agree what to say For some interpret the mystery one way and some another as euery mans seuerall fancy doth leade him the relation of which sundry conceits would be more tedious than profitable But to the poynt it selfe for my part I haue onely two things to say 1. That though I will not peremptorily condemne their opinion who conceiue a mystery in the number b In
fasting when eyther sinnes doe abound or iudgements are to be feared or blessings are to be sought for and none of vs can thinke or will say but that in all these respects there hath beene of late yeeres and is at this day too great occasion offered for such humiliation And yet now that euery man is left to himselfe to fast when he will who almost is there euen among them that are counted religious who finde themselues willing to vse any fasting at all And hence I inferre that arbitrary times of fasting are as like to breed a neglect of this duetie as arbitrary times of praying to make that duetie forgotten Fourthly If Daniels set houres were free from superstition because hee vsed them absque vlla opinione sanctitatis without any opinion of holinesse in that time then the Church of England cannot bee charged with superstition for her set dayes of fasting because shee vseth these without placing sanctitie in those times And now out of all these considerations I may boldly conclude the poynt that set times of fasting are not onely lawfull but very expedient for the constant and religious practice of humiliation And indeed experience sheweth that exercises which stand in a continued practice and often reiterating of them are then performed with most diligence and greatest fruit when they haue their fixed and set times allotted vnto them My selfe when I liued in the Vniuersity among Scholers did obserue that it was held for a note of a good Student that allowing himself fit time for sleepe and recreation and such like necessary workes the rest of his houres remaining hee did destinate and assigne for seuerall exercises and studies us such houres for Logick or Philosophy and such for Oratory or Poetry and such for History or Geography c. By which fixed order and constant obseruing of their appoynted times such Students gayned great furtherance for their Studies which others wanted For first they tooke order that no seasonable time should be mis-spent without making profit but taking a view of their whole time they allotted euery houre to some vse Secondly when their houre was come for such or such a businesse the very striking of the Clock did admonish them to break off company and presently to betake themselues to their taske whereas others who had no such set houres would goe beyond the time and in chatting and idlenesse trifle away many a good houre without taking account of it Thirdly when they were come to their studies they knew what they had to doe and without further deliberation went on with their worke whereas some others when they came to their studies were scarce resolued what booke fitted their turne and so for want of orderly proceeding they lost the fruit of that little time and small paynes which they tooke And fourthly if at any time eyther occasion of friends or occurrence of some businesse did intercept their time and beguile them of their houres they were sensible of that losse and did watch all opportunities to re-gaine it And by this set course of study such Students in short time gayned much knowledge and farre exceeded their fellowes And as this hath been found in experience to be the readiest way for a Scholer to profit in his learning so for my part I know no better way of thriuing and profiting in Christs Schoole then if wee obserue the same rule and set our selues conuenient times for doing of religious dueties as such a time to pray with our houshold and such a time to reade Scriptures and other bookes of Religion and such a time to examine our consciences and see what we haue done and such a time to fast and vse humiliation for our sinnes For it may be feated if wee appoynt our selues no set times for good dueties wee will spend but a little time about them The consideration of all which maketh mee to thinke that the obseruation of set times for our fasting-Fasting-dayes is so farre from corrupting our Fasts with superstition as that it doth much further vs to a constant and religious practice of them CHAP. IX How long wee should continue our Fast OVr Lord continued his Fast for forty dayes and forty nights but that was miraculous and aboue the power of nature in him and therfore is not to be imitated by vs in the same manner Yet iust occasion is offered to enquire how long our Fasts ought to bee continued For distinct answere whereto wee must note a difference betweene Fasts of ordinary or vsuall continuance and of extraordinary and vnusuall And to begin first with the later vnusuall and extraordinary I call that which is for longer time and space than is commonly vsed or is ordinarily expedient In this kinde Paul (a) Act. 9.9 fasted three dayes in Damascus and Mordecai and the Iewes fasted for Ester (b) Ester 4.16 17. three daies and three nights And for the continuance of such Fasts I cannot precisely say for how many dayes and houres they are to be obserued onely these two things I can say in the generall 1. That they must bee no longer than the strength and power of mans nature may beare as I haue shewed already 2. That the space of their continuance is to bee measured by the occasion that requireth them and by the deuotion and discretion of them that keepe them 2. Secondly the vsuall continuance of a Fast I call it when the abstinence is obserued so long as is vsuall among Gods seruants in their ordinary course of life and is commonly practized by them in their religious Fasts And for determining the space of such a Fast some say that a religious Fast must bee continued for foure and twenty houres and the reason is because on the day of Expiation God doth enioyne abstinence from euening to euening But of this place I haue told my opinion before and now againe I say vnder correction first that this place requireth that space of time for the celebrating of a Sabbath or Festiuall day but saith not the like of a Fasting-day Secondly If the Fast there mentioned be meant to continue for foure and twentie houres as I will not deny but it may be so taken yet that is required in this Fast as it was a seruice belonging to an holy day not as it was an abstinence required on a Fasting-day And therefore it was enioyned in this Fast but is not so in all Fasts Hee speaketh more resonably as I take it that saith a Verum bonum ielunium est abstinentia spontaneâ— siue prandij vsque ad vesperam sine coenae vsque ad sequentis diei prandium siue vtriusque simul prandij et coenae c. Springl de Hodier Haereticis part 1. l. 3. cap. 2. pag. 842. A true Fast is an abstinence or forbearing eyther of dinner vntill euening or of supper vntill dinner time the next day or else of both of them together But yet for more distinct conceiuing of the poynt I
will set downe mine opinion with submission to better iudgements in three seuerall propositions 1. The precise time and distinct houres how long a Fast must be continued is not any where that I know of peremptorily defined or commanded eyther in the holy Scriptures or in any Writings of the Ancients For as for the Scriptures wee finde examples of some that haue fasted for three dayes and many that haue fasted till night but where eyther that space or any other is commanded for my part I confesse I know not And for the ancient Church it is a cleare case that they vsed to fast somtime till euening and many times but till three a clocke in the afternoone Which sheweth that they thought no set space of time absolutely necessary 2. In euery religious Fast the abstinence must be continued so long as that the body by wanting his ordinary food may bee in some sort chastened and afflicted For so the Scriptures set out a Fast vnto vs as accompanied with chastening and humiliation Thus Dauid speaketh (a) Psal 69.10 I wept and chastened my soule with fasting And the Angell speaking of Daniels Fast (b) Dan. 10.12 When thou didst set thine heart saith hee to vnderstand and to chasten thy selfe before thy God And Ezrah (c) Ezrah 8.21 I proclaymed a Fast that wee might afflict our selues before God By all which and other moe sayings to like purpose it is apparant that in euery true Fast there is an afflicting of the body Which how it is to be vnderstood I haue declared (d) Cap. 4. pa. 49 c. elsewhere 3. The longer our abstinence is so it bee with moderation and regard to a mans strength such as heretofore I described the more perfect the Fast is and the more auaileable for the good which we intend by it My reasons are First because fasting is ordained for humiliation and chastening of our selues before God which the more sensible it is the more effectuall it proueth but the longer the abstinence is the greater is the humiliation or chastening that is wrought by it And therefore the longer the abstinence the perfiter the Fast is Secondly Vpon extraordinary occasions and when greater need required then Gods seruants haue been accustomed to enlarge the time of their fasting as I haue shewed before in Ester and the men of labesh c. And this sheweth that the longer the abstinence is the more powerfull the Fast is Thirdly The ancient Church did vse longer abstinence in Lent time than on other Fasting-dayes intending therein as in all the other religious duties to shew more piety than at other times they vsed And this sheweth that the longer the abstinence is the more perfit they thought the Fast to be Fourthly this conclusion is acknowledged by our Aduersaries of the Romish Church For though they defend the loosenesse of their Church which permitteth them on Fasting-dayes to take their dinner at the vsuall time yet they confesse a Quò quis tardiùs distulerit cò meliùs ieiunare iudicandus est Valer. Reginald prax fori poenit l. 4. c. 13. num 158. Quanto plus tardâ horâ comeditur meliùs ieiunatur Caietan v. Ieiun pag. 120. Neque ignorant Catholici ieiunium tantò esse perfectius quantò diutius refectio siue Coena differtur Bellar. de bon oper in particl l. 2. cap. 2. pag. 1072. B. that by how much later the houre of our eating is by so much our Fast is the better and that they know well enough that the Fast is so much the more perfit by how much the refection after it is the longer protracted 4. The vsuall time of abstinence mentioned in Scriptures in an vsuall and ordinary Fast is the space of one day from morning till night Thus it is said of the children of Israel (b) Iudg. 20.26 that they wept and sate before the Lord and fasted that day vntill euen and of Dauid and his men (c) 2. Sam. 1.12 that they fasted vntill euen for Saul and for Ionathan c. and of Dauid when hee mourned for Abuer that hee would not be perswaded by the people to eate meat while it was yet day but sware saying (d) 2. Sam. 3.35 So doe God to mee and more also if I taste bread or ought else till the Sunne bee downe And so elsewhere And according to this custome it is obserued of the Iewes that euer since they haue kept their Fast (e) Buxdorf Synag Iudaic. cap. 25. pag. 458. Tostat in Matth. 4. q. 11. Azor. part 1. l. 7. cap. 11. q. 1. pag. 563. col 2. till the Starres appeare in the Firmament And lesse time of abstinence then this I no where finde vsed in Scriptures 5. In the Primitiue Church I finde that in the beginning they fasted till sixe of the clocke in the afternoone or till sun setting which in common estimation is about sixe of the clocke For that is the most indifferent time to measure the euening by the most proportionable to the whole yeer and most answerable to the custome of Gods people in the old Testament For there was not such difference betweene the day and the night among the Iewes as is among vs. For in Iurie the shortest day had tenne houres and the longest night but foureteene Whence it followeth that for the greatest part of the yeere the sun did set much what about sixe either not long after or not long before it And when the greatest inequality was as in the depth of winter it did set at fiue of the clocke and in the height of summer at seuen And therefore the most equall time to measure the end of the day or the sunne setting by for all the yeer is sixe of the clocke And that I take to haue bin the vsuall time when both the Iewes and the ancient Christians did breake off their Fasts But afterward Christians began to abridge the time of the abstinence and to cease their Fasts at least many of them about three of the clocke in the afternoone Which Azorius a Tepescente sensim vetere illo feruore coeptum est solui ieiunium primò quidem antequam sol occidcret deinde verò etiā paucis heris ante solis abscessum Azo par 1. l. 7. c. 11. q. 1. pag. 563 564. imputeth to decay of zeale euen in those better times and I wil not deny but it might be so in some part albeit perhaps another reason may be conceiued thereof besides namely the multitude of their Fasts which at that time were frequent especially among the religious sort who gaue themselues to deuotion For they sauing Sundayes and festiuall times were vsed to fast euery day and it might seeme perhaps too much strictnes in such continuall sort to endure so long abstinence and therefore though in Lent time and vpon other dayes of more straite discipline they vsed to fast till night yet ordinarily they broke off their Fasts three houres sooner
into the contrary or might seeme to fall into it euen as Husbandmen in streightening a crooked sprigge doe many times bend it too farre the contrary way And thus saith hee St. Austin writing against the Pelagians did goe so farre in defence of Gods grace that hee seemeth to doe some wrong to mans free-will And on the contrary fide Saint Chrysostome defending free-will against the Manichees did extoll it too farre with some wrong to Gods grace And so it is no vnpardonable errour if some learned men among vs or in our Churches haue in hatred to the superstitions of Rome spoken too harshly of the deuotions of elder times And this shall suffice for answere to this accusation or calumnie rather of the Romish Doctors IIII. The fourth question concerning this time of Lent is Why this time of the yeere was made choyce of for this purpose Answ I finde many reasons giuen by diuers men But of those many the greater part may seeme to haue beene inuented after the institution of Lent to shew the congruity and fitnesse of it The true reasons which I thinke did moue the Church at the beginning to ordaine this time of humiliation were onely but two of them Of the former sort were these and such like 1. The first is a politique reason and it is because this time of the yeere is a time of breed and of the increase of creatures and the sparing of the increase by abstinence and slender diet might cause plenty and store in the Common-wealth for all the yeere after 2. The second is a physicall reason which is because (a) Filliuc Tractat. 27. cap. 5. part 2. q. 8. num 97. pag. 287. at this time of the yeere there is most increase of bloud in a mans body and the heate thereof might breed Feuers and hot diseases but spare diet especially consisting of fish and hearbes and rootes c. will serue to qualifie the bloud and to bring it to a right temper 3. The third is a reason of allusion to the season of the yeere For b Hāc Quadragesimam largitue est nobis Dōmnus vt buius temporis spatio in morem totius creaturae nunc concipiamus virtutū germina Terra indictâ Quadragesimâ asperitatē deponit hiemis ego indictâ Quadragesimâ asperitatem reijcio delictorum Illa terra aratris scinditur vt mundanis sit cōgrua frugibus mea terra ieiunijs exaratur vt coelestibus sit apta seminibus Herba segetum reuiuiscit in messem surculus arboris conatur in fruticem palmes vineae pubescit in gemmam c. Ambros Serm. 40. in feria 3. post Dominic 2. Quadrag pag. 57. C.F. now fields and gardens trees and hearbes and all vegetables doe sprowt and flourish and grow and so with the season of the yeere Christians should haue their spring of grace and be now more plentifull in all good dueties and offices of Religion Againe now is the seed-time of the world Men plow and harrow and breake the clods of the ground that it may be fit to receiue seed and to bring forth a plentifull increase and so men being admonished by the course of nature should now take occasion to ransack their consciences and humble their soules and chasten the whole man that they may be the more fit to receiue the seedes of grace and to bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse 4. The fourth is a reason drawne from the necessity of mortification at this time For now bloud doth most increase and is most hot and stirring (a) Iansen in Concord cap. 15. pag. 124. col 2. E. Filliuc Tractat. 27. cap. 5. part 2. q. 8. num 97. Aliique and the heat of nature is apt to produce increase of lust And therefore as men in the spring-time doe abstaine from Wine and strong drinkes lest they should breed Feuers and hot distempers in the body so it is requisite that they should forbeare nourishing meates and vse abstinence lest full feeding should breed youthfull lusts and distempers in the soule These and such like are the reasons of congruitie which vnder correction I thinke men did afterward inuent to shew the reasonablenesse and fitnesse of this constitution but now the proper reasons which did as I take it induce the Church to appoynt this Fast were these two 1. Because the time going before Easter was the time of Christs sufferings and passion and death In those dayes it was that he was betrayed by his Disciple and sweat bloud in the Garden and was accused and condemned and crucified and buried for our sinnes which sufferings of Christ are still to be remembred with thankefulnesse by euery Christian And because the most expresse remembrance of things past is at the same time when they were done therefore this time of the yeere in which Christ did vndergoe his sufferings was thought the fittest season in which Christians should celebrate the memory of them For to this purpose it is that God himselfe speaking of the day in which hee destroyed the Egyptians and passed by the Israelites houses without hurt saith of it (a) Exod. 12.14 This day shall bee vnto you for a memoriall and yee shall keepe it a Feast vnto the Lord throughout your generations And a little after (b) Vers 17. Yee shall obserue the Feast of vnleauened bread for in this selfe-same day haue I brought your armies out of the Land of Egypt Therefore shall yee obserue this day in your generations by an Ordinance for euer And againe (c) Exod. 13.3 ◠9 10. Remember this day in which yee came out from Egypt out of the house of bondage c. And when the Lord shall bring thee into the Land of the Canaanites c. thou shalt keepe this seruice in this moneth c. And it shall bee for a signe vnto thee vpon thine hand and for a memoriall betweene thine eyes that the Lords Law may bee in thy mouth Thou shalt therefore keepe this Ordinance in his season from yeere to yeere Where we may note what God requireth and why hee requireth it First What and that is that they should keepe this day of that moneth from yeere to yeere for a Festiuall day vnto the Lord. Secondly Why they should doe this at this time and that is because at this time God did deliuer them and the keeping of this time would be for a signe of remembrance and for a memoriall of that mercy And for like purpose (d) Ester 9.21 22. Ester and Mordecai commanded the same dayes to bee celebrated euery yeere in which God had deliuered them from their danger And so the Church of Christ hath euer thought it fit that the Acts and workes of our Sauiour which tend to our Redemption such as were his Conception Birth Resurrection Ascension into heauen c. should be celebrated among Christians about the same time of the yeere in which he performed them And so no lesse fit is it that his sufferings and
to abolish all times of fasting and humiliation for the superstition that some men haue placed in them 3. Coroll That while there is no publique order for restoring the old Discipline men should doe well each one for himselfe apart to renew so much of it as he may conueniently in his priuate practice And if any mans eyther great infirmities or iust occasions doe let him from so doing For infirmities of body and occasions of necessary dueties haue euer beene dispensed with yet then hee should in desire follow after that which indeed he cannot aspire vnto and by his inward humiliation repentance labour to recompence what is wanting in his outward fasting and abstinence And thus I haue done with this poynt of Lent and consequently haue by Gods mercy now finished that which in the second place I proposed concerning our Sauiours fasting and other things of our practice occasioned thereby CHAP. XI Of Christs hungring HAuing hitherto spoken of our Sauiours fasting it remaineth to adde a word or two of the consequent thereof which is his hungring and thereof the Euangelist saith Hee was afterward an hungred which words may haue two senses The first is this Hee was afterward an hungred that is he now first began to feel the want of meat and nature began to craue some supply And this interpretation implyeth that for the whole space of forty dayes hee had no hunger nor felt no want of meate or no affliction of body for lacke of it but that during that whole space the Deitie did support the humane nature that his naturall heat did not worke vpon the nourishment according to natures course as the (a) Dan. 3.25 fire of the Furnace did not worke vpon the three men that were cast into the middest of it Secondly the words may be expounded thus Hee was afterward an hungred that is he was now pinched with hunger and being not well able to endure any longer did manifest his hunger by seeking after meate And this interpretation implyeth that in the time of his forty dayes Fast he felt some hunger though not such as afterward he did nor such but that he might endure it and expect a longer time before need made him to breake off his purpose of fasting And this I take to be the fitter and more probable exposition of the words But which way soeuer wee take it yet thus much is apparent by the Text that at the end of forty dayes Christ through long abstinence was in some distresse for want of something to refresh nature and yet had not so much as a piece of bread to satisfie his hunger or to allay the crauing appetite of his stomach For that our Lords hunger in this place was not ordinary such as a man when he hath fasted beyond his time may haue and yet continue without any notable offence vnto nature but rather that it was a pinching and a biting hunger and such as bred grieuance and molestation to nature in a greater measure than is vsuall may appeare by two things First because the Deuill tooke occasion by this hunger to tempt him with turning stones into bread which had beene too silly a deuice for the old Serpent to vse against our Sauiour if hee had not seene him to bee in some extremity for want of food Secondly because when the Deuill had done his tentation for which Christ did make way by his hunger GOD sent Angels from heauen to (a) Matt. 4.11 minister vnto him that is to bring him meat for his refreshing Which kind of prouidence God doth not vse to shew but in cases of extremity and when ordinary meanes doe fayle vs. The summe of all is that Christ by his long abstinence did endure extreme hunger by which his body was afflicted and nature was molested And hence wee haue this note that our Lord did for our sakes submit himselfe to the afflictions and miseries of this life The Prophet calleth him (b) Is 53.3 a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe And the Euangelists doe shew how his whole life was a Tragedie of many sufferings Hee was persecuted from his cradle to his Crosse and afflicted from the wombe to the graue but that which in this place wee are to take especiall notice of is the pinching hunger which hee willingly endured because it tended to the working of our Redemption and the furthering of our saluation To which purpose Saint Iohn doth further note that our Lord (c) Ioh. 4.6 being wearied with his iourney sate thus on Iacobs Well And giueth vs withall to vnderstand that hee was both hungry and thirsty when hee telleth vs that (d) Vers 8. his Disciples were gone away vnto the Citie to buy meate and that himselfe did (e) Vers 7 9. aske water of the woman to drinke And yet notwithstanding his present want of food at this time hee refused to eate when it was brought him because he had a more necessary worke in hand which he preferred before it that is (f) Vers 34. to doe the will of him that sent him and to finish his worke implying in that speech the preaching of the Gospel and his labouring to saue the soules of men And in this place the extreme hunger that hee suffered was for the preparing of himselfe for his office and for the finishing of the worke of our Redemption Thus our Lord was contented to endure hunger and thirst and any thing for the redeeming and sauing of our soules so that as he sometimes said of the Iewes after hee had vsed all good meanes to worke grace in them (a) Isai 5.4 What could haue beene done more to my Vineyard that I haue not done in it so considering his meane birth and poore life and bitter death c. he may as truely say What could I haue suffered more for my Church which I haue not suffered for her And now if any man perish it is his owne fault who refuseth so great saluation wrought by his Sauiour and if any man be saued it is Christs merits who hath purchased so great Redemption for him when he had deserued damnation and death And this may afford vs diuers good lessons at which I will onely poynt in this place 1. It teacheth vs what a thankefull remembrance wee should keepe of our Sauiours paynes for vs at all times But especially at this time of Lent ordayned of purpose for a memoriall of Christs sufferings wee should often meditate on our Sauiours great loue vnto vs and consider from poynt to poynt how being Lord of all hee made himselfe the basest of all borne in a stable lodged in a Manger pinched with hunger followed with contempt accused condemned crucified and entombed in the earth for our sakes 2. It yeeldeth vs comfort in all distresses For the poore soule when he is pinched with famine may thus thinke with himselfe My case is poore and miserable but so was my Lord and Sauiours before mee hee suffered