bee the more encreased by the beholding one of another 21 Fourthly we are to abstaine from all carnall delights whereby any one of our sences might bee pleased For the sence of pleasure would abate our mourning diminish the sence of our want and hinder our vnfained humiliation before God Wherefore Ierome saith that fasting is to abstaine not onely from meats but also from all pleasures or allurements And Augustine The Scripture saith he teacheth a general fast not from the concupiscence of meates onely but also from all pleasures of temporal delights Thus are we not only to abridge our tast of meats but also to containe our eies from beholding vanities and pleasures our eares from hearing mirth or musick which in time of mourning is vnseasonable our nostrils from pleasant odours and effeminate smels Our sence of feeling from the vse of the marriage bed which as all married persons are to forbeare vpon consent for such a time of humiliation that they may giue themselues to fasting and prayer so are the Bridegroome and Bride admonished to come forth of their marriage chamber in the time of the fast And all these are to be done partly as meanes of our humiliation in remouing the impediments thereof partly as signes of our humiliation whereby we acknowledge our selues vnworthy of these delights and partly as tokens of our repentance in that by way of godly revenge because all our sences haue sinned we depriue thē all of their seuerall delights And as wee are to make all our sences thus to fast so must wee also weyne our minds from sports and recreations which would not onely hinder our humiliation and godly sorrow but also distract our minds from better meditations in sanctifying the fast And thus haue I shewed that in our fast we are to abstaine from food and some other helps and commodities of this life and also from all outward delights and pleasures 22 Now it remaineth that I should speake of rest from bodily labours and worldly businesse For the time of the fast hath the nature of a Sabboth And by the Prophet Ioel it is called dies interdicti a solemnity or day of prohibition wherein men are forbidden to do any worke as ths Lord expoūdeth that word Leui. 23. It is a day of prohibition or a solemne day You shall do no seruile worke therein And Deut. 16. Six dayes thou shalt eat vnleauened bread and in the seuenth day which shall be a solemnity or day of prohibition to the Lord thy God thou shalt doe no worke So Num. 29.35 For there is the same reason of the extraordinary Sabbath of humiliation and of the ordinary But the ordinary was a Sabbath or rest in which no worke was to bee done yea the Lord threatneth to destroy that person from among his people that shall doe any worke that day And as I said before the law of the weekly Sabbath is to be extended to other extraordinary Sabbaths But on the weekly Sabbath wee may do no worke therefore not in this 23 But let vs consider also why and in what respects rest is required in the day of our fast and bodily labours and worldly businesse forbidden The Lord forbiddeth labour and worldly businesse and commaundeth rest on euery Sabbath not because simply he either liketh of rest or misliketh labour but because bodily labors worldly businesse are a meanes to distract vs from the worship of God and rest from them is a remedy against distraction For euery Sabbath is to be sanctified and set apart from our businesse and affaires and is to bee consecrated to the worship of God And further on the Sabbath of humiliation we take vpon vs after a more speciall maner to worship God and therefore that wee may seriously and entirely intend the seruice of God we are to abandō all other busines and cares For that is better done which is done alone as the Philosopher hath truly said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is the counsell of the Wiseman that what wee doe wee should do with all our might For by doing many things our minds are distracted This therefore doth teach vs that with free and entire minds sequestred from all worldly cares we are to be conuersant in the worship of God chiefely when after a more speciall manner we indeuour to humble our selues before him For if bodily labours and worldly businesse bee therefore forbidden because they are meanes to distract vs then may we be sure that distraction it self in the worship of God is much more forbidden For distraction breeds hypocrisie in Gods worship and causeth vs when wee draw nigh to the Lord with our lips to remooue our hearts farre from him 24. Againe the Lord commaundeth vs in all his Sabbaths to rest from labours that this outward rest might be an admonition vnto vs to rest from sinne For why may euery one of vs thinke doth the Lord forbid me on the day of rest the lawfull workes of may calling Or why doe I cease from mine honest affaires Must I forbeare that which in it selfe is lawfull and may I doe that which is vnlawfull Must I therefore for this time sequester my selfe from my honest businesse that I may attend vanities or sinnes Or doth the Lord enjoyne me rest because hee is delighted with idlenesse and would haue me to doe nothing No verily If he forbid me that which is lawfull much more doth he forbid that which is vnlawfull And if he commaund me to rest from honest affaires it is not because he would haue me idle for idlenesse is the mother of much iniquitie but because hee would haue me attend better matters In a word he forbiddeth me to doe mine owne workes and businesse that I may doe his worke and attend his religion and seruice Lastly there may an outward cause be rendered why on the day of the fast wee are to cease from bodily labours For our fraile nature cannot well beare abstinence and bodily labour together for labour setting the bodie in a heat wasteth the moisture and spirits which are to bee supplied by nourishment otherwise we spend vpon the stocke of our naturall moisture which is as it were the oyle in the lampe of our life 25. We see then wherein the outward exercise doth consist and the particulars from which we are to abstain Now wee are briefely to consider for how long this abstinence is to be obserued The vsuall time of a fast is the space of a naturall day viz. from euen to euen or from supper to supper For as that was the time appointed for the ordinarie Sabboth of humiliation so also of the extraordinarie From euen to euen shall you celebrate your Sabboth And accordingly it is noted of the Israelits fast Iud. 20. of Dauid and his followers 2. Sam. 1. of Iosuah and the elders Ios. 7. that it was vntill the euening And more particularly of
as indigested meat c. The other thing that as we vse fasting sometimes so must wee vse temperance and sobrietie alwayes auoiding euermore excesse especially of such things as are apt to prouoke lust For what are we better for fasting at any time if we recompence our fasting with fulnesse at other time for then our minds by much repletion will wax heauie irrigata corporis nostri terraspinas libidinum germinabit And the earth as it were of our bodies being well watered will bring forth the thornes of lust And therefore as Ierome well sayth A spare diet and a stomacke alwayes hungry is preferred before fasts continued three dayes together and it is much better euery day to take but a little then sometimes though seldome to take too much But as excesse of all meats and drinkes is to auoided so especially of wine and strong drinkes It was truly said of the Poet Sine Cerere Libero friget venus and of another vina parant animos veneri The same is testified by Salomon Prou. 23. that if we delight in wine our eyes will looke vpon strange women and our hearts will speake leaud things And this the daughters of Lot knew too well for that incestuous copulation which they could not expect from him whiles hee was sober they obtained by giuing him wine to drinke For as one sayth Proximus a Libero patre intemperantiae gradus ad inconcessam venerem esse consucuit 5. The next enemie to chastitie is slouthfulnesse which containeth two nurses of lust idlenesse and drowsinesse For the matter which gluttonie and drunkennes prepareth for lust that doth idlenesse preserue And therefore not vnworthily are fulnesse of bread slouthfulnesse reckoned among the sinnes of Sodome wherby they were incensed to vnnaturall lust For idlenesse is both the mother and nurse of lust Haec otia ut ames faciunt haec quae fecere tuentur Haec sunt iucundi causa cibusque mali A Philosopher being asked what lust or impure loue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee said The passion of an idle mind For as water which is not stirred putrifieth and yron that is not exercised rusteth so the mind by idlenesse is corrupted For as the Grecians rightly say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idlenesse or doing nothing is the beginning of doing ill And as Basill sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery occasion of idlenesse is occasion of sinne Such is the disposition of our minds that if they be not exercised about lawfull things they will goe a whoring about things vnlawfull In desiderijs est omnis anima otiosi sayth Ierome Euery idle mans mind is ouertaken with lust And that the example of Dauid himselfe doth shew who on a time giuing himselfe to idlenes was ouertaken in this kind And therefore such as haue out of their owne experience prescribed remedies against lust haue warned men especially to beware of idlenesse Likewise much sleeping and long lying in bed are the workes of darkenesse the companions of wantonnesse the nurses of lust For that matter which by large diet is prepared for generation and by idlenesse and ease preserued by long lying and much sleeping is concocted and perfited 6. Whosoeuer therefore hath a true and serious purpose by fasting to chastise his body let him with his extraordinarie fasting and praying ioyne ordinarie temperance and sobrietie diligence in his calling and vigilancie And if hauing vsed these meanes of chastitie in single life which is the gift of continencie to a perpetuitie whereof very few attaine who are fit for procreation then let him know that God doth call him to mariage which he hath prouided as a lawfull remedie against lust That those who cannot liue chastly in single life may liue chastly in mariage for as there is chastitie in single life so also in wedlocke And whosoeuer hauing not the gift of continencie refuseth this ordinance of God vnder pretence of chastitie he liueth in vncleannesse or if he striue ouermuch as it were against the streame by fasting and abstinence to subdue his body in an erronious desire of keeping the seuenth commaundement which of the most may better be kept in mariage than in single life he breaketh the sixt in shortning his dayes and making himselfe vnapt for the duties of his calling and vnfit for the seruice of the Church or common-wealth Neither may any man alledge that in respect of his outward estate it is inconuenient for him to marrie for no outward inconuenience can be so great as to liue in sinne And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the former sort of spirituall fasts may chiefe desire and purpose being to intreat of the religious fast 7. The religious fast is a solemne exercise of religion wherein we being humble suters vnto the Lord vpon some speciall or extraordinarie occasion do abstaine not onely from food and some other commodities and delights of this life but also from bodily labours and worldly businesse during the time of the fast which is a Sabbath of humiliation that by this outward abstinence our humiliation may be furthered and our repentance testified to the increase of our feruencie and confirmation of our faith in prayer for the obtaining of our request at the hands of God For further explication whereof we are to cōsider that where I call it an exercise of religion that is presupposed which before I touched that this religious fast is an ordinance of God for nothing may be offered vnto the Lord by way of religion or worship which is not appointed and ordained of the Lord for whatsoeuer is obtruded vnto him for worship being not ordained by him is will-worship and superstition Now that the Lord hath appointed and ordained that we should humble our selues before him by fasting and prayer for the obtaining of some speciall blessing from him it may appeare first by euident testimonies of Scripture in the old testament Whereunto if it shall be objected that the places of the old Testament which require fasting may seeme to enjoyne it among other ceremonies of the Iewish religion vnto which Christians are not bound I answer that in the Iewish fasts some things were ceremoniall and so peculier to them other things were morall and so common to vs. The things which were peculier to them were first the circumstance of the time in their set and ordinary fasts whether that which was appointed by the Lord on the tenth day of the seuenth moneth or those which the Iewes voluntarily vndertooke during the time of the seuenty yeares captiuity in the fourth moneth in the fift in the seuenth and in the tenth And secondly there were certaine habits and iestures vsed among them when they mourned and fasted which were part of the pedagogie of the old testament which as they are abrogated by Christ in the new Testament so were they not greatly required in the old
that fasteth for his sins and committeth them again who will heare his prayer or what doth his fasting helpe him 45. But for as much as Augustine saith It is but a slender fast to abstaine onely from sinne vnlesse we also adde good workes therefore wee must know it is our dutie especially on the day of the fast not only to eschew euill but also for the present to be exercised in well doing and for the time to come to purpose and to promise amendement The duties wherin we are to be exercised are both the duties of pietie and religion towards God which in the time of the fast are to be performed in a speciall manner and also the duties of loue and mercie towards our brethren as to execute true judgement to shew mercie and compassion euery man to his brother For is not this the fasting that I haue chosen sayth the Lord to loose the bands of wickednes to take off the heauie burthens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake euery yoke Among the rest the dutie of almes-giuing and relieuing the poore is commended vnto vs as it followeth in the Prophet Is it not to deale the bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poore that wander vnto thine house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh for so he calleth thy poore brother Then shall thy light breake forth c. then shalt thou call and the Lord will answere thou shalt crie and be will say here am I. If thou takest away from the middest of thee the yoke the putting foorth of the finger whereby is meant euen the least injuries and wicked speaking if thou poure out thy soule to the hungry that is if with the bowels of compassion thou doest relieue his need freely and chearefully and refresh the troubled soule then shall thy light spring out in the darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the noone day that is thine aduersitie and affliction shall be turned into peace and prosperitie 46. Wherefore it hath beene and is the custome of the godly in the time of their fasts by doing workes of mercie and giuing almes to relieue the poore For as our Sauiour hath joyned the doctrine of these three together almes prayer and fasting so must we after the example of Cornelius joyne them in practise For as the Lord hath promised to shew mercie to the mercifull and to answere their crie so on the other side he that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore himselfe shall crie and not be heard And surely vnlesse we will fast for sparing after the manner of niggards who will be glad of so good a pretence to spare from their bellies to depriue their families of their ordinarie allowance for the increase of their worldly estate wee ought to giue so much to the poore as by our abstinence is saued Vt ieiunium tuum saith Ierome non sit lucrum marsupij sed saturitas animae that thy fast be not the gain of thy purse but the saturitie of thy soule For as Augustine sayth Then are our fasts acceptable to God when as they whom need doth force to fast are refreshed by vs. And againe Ieiunium tuum te castiget sed laetificet alterum Let thy fasting chastise thee but let it comfort another So fast that thou mayest be glad that thou hast dined in another that eateth by that meanes for the Lord loueth a chearefull giuer for when a poore man eateth of thine allowance in him Christ who affirmeth himselfe to be hungry in his poore members doth dine And elsewhere Accipiat esuriens Christus quod ieiunans minus accepit Christianus Let Christ being hungrie in his poore members receiue that which the fasting Christian hath spared Castigatio volentis fiat sustentatio non habentis Let the chastisement of him that hath and is willing to forbeare be the sustenance of him that hath not and faine would eat And to conclude Cyrill In a certaine booke sayth he we find it said of the Apostles Blessed is hee who fasteth to that end that he may feed the poore 47. And as we are thus for the present to be exercised so for the time to come we must vnfainedly purpose and faithfully promise amendement in performing duties heretofore omitted and in eschewing sinnes heretofore committed And to this purpose it shall bee needfull for the better setling of our resolution to bind our selues by a solemne vow and with the Iewes in the booke of Nehemiah to put our seales vnto it that so we may impose a necessitie vpon our selues of well doing and we are to know that it is a happie necessitie which forceth vs to better things The necessitie of this vnfained purpose to be had in this exercise is euident because without it wee remaine in our impenitencie And being impenitent sinners the Lord will not heare vs as the Lord threatened the impenitent Iewes When they fast sayth he I will not heare their crie Ierem. 14. And therefore vnlesse wee repent of our sinnes and resolue to amend this exercise which wee being suters vndertake for the obtaining of our sute is performed of vs in vaine For this wee are to know to be assured of That the Lord heareth not impenitent sinners Wherefore true is that saying though of an Apocryphall booke Prayer is good with fasting almes and righteousnesse 48. And thus we haue heard what the religious fast is and the parts also wherein it doth consist Now we are to consider the sorts of it for the religious fast is either priuat or publicke The priuat fast is that which is obserued priuatly as the fast of some one man or of a priuat familie And this is to be vndertaken either for priuat or publicke causes for priuat concerning either our selues and those that belong to vs so fasted Annah 1. Sam. 1. Cornelius Act. 10. Dauid 2. Sam. 12 or others as Dauid for those that prooued his enemies and Darius though an heathen for Daniell when he was cast into the Lyons den But we are to fast priuatly not onely vpon priuat occasions but much more vpon publicke causes For as it is the dutie of the faithfull priuatly to mourne for publicke calamities and common corruptions which ordinarily are the fore runners of common calamities so also they may fast therefore And such was the fast of Nehemiah chap. 1. and of Daniel chap. 9. In priuat fasts our Sauiour Christ requireth that they be so secretly performed as that vnto men we may not seeme to fast but onely to our heauenly father who seeing in secret will reward vs openly And for as much as the day of the fast hath the nature of a Sabbath wherein we are to cease from bodily labors and worldly businesse therefore those which bee vnder the gouernment of
others as wiues children and seruants may not take vpon them to obserue a fast on a working day without the leaue and liking of their gouernours 49. The publicke fast is that which being vpon publicke cause by publicke authoritie proclaimed before the Lord is both publickly and priuatly to be sanctified of all as a Sabbath of humiliation vnto the Lord. In which definition there are foure things to bee obserued first who are to appoint the publicke fast secondly vpon what cause thirdly who are to obserue it fourthly how As touching the first The appointment of publicke fasts appertaineth to those who haue publicke authoritie to call the people together to the publicke worship of God and to cause them to cease from their bodily labors and worldly affairs as appeareth in the examples of publicke fasts recorded in the word of God as 2. Chron. 20.3 Ion. 3.7 1. Sam. 7.5 Ezr. 8.21 Ioel 1.14 And this they are to doe by proclaiming of the fast that is both by giuing publicke notice of it and also by charging all men to assemble themselues at the time appointed to obserue it according to the direction of the holy ghost by the Prophet Ioel Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast that is by your proclamation which is meant by sounding the trumpet appoint a fast to be sanctified proclaime a day of rest or Sabbath of humiliation assemble the people c. And here we are to obserue that which is further added out of Ierem. 36. that this fast is to be proclaimed before the Lord that both they which haue authoritie doe proclaime it not in any wicked or worldly respect but in vprightnesse of heart as before the Lord and also that those who are to obserue it assemble themselues as before the Lord to sanctifie a fast vnto him 50. The next thing to be considered is the cause whereupon the fast is to be proclaimed that when there is just cause those which are in authority may take knowledge of their dutie in this behalfe And that is as I haue generally noted before when we haue some important and vrgent occasion to become humble and earnest suters vnto the Lord either for the obtaining of some speciall and publicke blessing or for the remoouing of some publicke euill and this either for our selues or for other churches of Christ. As for example when some publike matter of great importance is to be attempted then as we haue extraordinarie occasion to craue the blessing of God vpon vs so also we haue just cause to fast Consider to this purpose the examples of Ezra chap. 8. and of the faithfull in the primitiue Church Act. 13. and 14. both which being to craue the blessing of God the former vpon their voyage towards Ierusalem after their captiuitie the latter vpon the ministerie of his seruants whom they either ordained or sent forth to the worke of their ministerie commended their sute vnto the Lord by publicke fasting and prayer Which examples may be a sufficient direction for appointing publicke fasts vpon occasions of no lesse importance In the hystorie of the Kings it appeareth to haue beene the custome of the Israelits though that practise was monstrously abused by Iezabell that publicke matters of importance should bee enterprised with a fast 91. As touching publicke euils they be either publicke sinnes or publicke judgements of God for sinne For if the people of God haue committed some common or publicke sinne and thereby haue prouoked the Lord to wrath and indignation as indeed when we sinne he is angry then it behoueth them to judge themselues if they would not bee judged of the Lord and by humbling themselues before the Lord in fasting and prayer to appease his anger and to preuent his judgements The people of Israel when many of them had sinned by idolatrie and by reason of their sinne stood in feare of the Philistims the Prophet Samuell assembleth them together to Mizpeh where they solemnized a fast and pouring forth water before the Lord acknowledged and bewayled their sinne Likewise when many of the Iewes who were returned from captiuitie had mingled themselues in mariage with the heathen people of the land contrary to the commaundement of God they humbled themselues before the Lord in a publicke and solemne fast If wee therefore would auoid the judgements of God as they did wee must follow the example of their repentance when we haue not beene behind them in sinne But if it please the Lord to manifest his wrath either by threatening his judgements or by inflicting them then doth the Lord as it were call vs to this exercise Now the Lord threateneth his judgements first by his Prophets and ministers as by Ionas against the Niniuits whereupon they fasted secondly by some manifest tokens of his wrath as by earthquakes and other prodigious signes whereby the auncient Romans being also Gentiles haue beene mooued to proclaime publicke fasts thirdly by giuing vs notice of some imminent danger as when we heare of an open inuasion intended by forraine enemies which consideration mooued Iosaphat to proclaime a fast or vnderstand of some more secret plot or conspiracie against the Church the prince or state such as was the conspiracie of Haman against the people of the Iewes for the disappointing whereof the Iewes did fast If therfore the Lord do in like sort threaten vs as it were shake his rod ouer vs we must prepare our selues to meet our God and to turne vnto him by repentance with fasting and prayer 52. And if judgements threatened should mooue vs to fast how much more are wee bound to humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God when it is vpon vs scourging and afflicting vs for our sinnes As for example when the Lord sendeth any of the publicke messengers of his wrath as the sword famine pestilence captiuitie The ten tribes after two discomfitures receiued at the hands of the Benjamits wherein fortie thousand of them were slaine humbled themselues before the Lord by fasting and prayer The Prophet Ioel when the Lord sent a grieuous famine vpon the land earnestly exhorted the Iewes in the name of the Lord to turne vnto him with all their heart with fasting with weeping and mourning c. Likewise for the time of pestilence as well as of famine Salomon giueth direction that men should humble themselues before the Lord. Which course his father Dauid had taken when the Lord sent the pestilence amōg the people of Israel which judgement was occasioned by his numbering of them but caused by their owne sins Moses also when the plague was begun among the people of Israel for their murmuring he commaundeth Aaron to take his Censer and putting therein incense to go among the people and to make an attonement for them which Aaron hauing done and standing betwixt the dead and them that were aliue the
pastimes for if that be vnlawfull on the ordinarie Sabbath much more is it vnseasonable on the Sabbath of humiliation Lastly to sinne for if the workes of our lawfull callings be forbidden on the Sabbath much more the workes of darknes whereunto whosoeuer addicteth himselfe on the day of the fast he celebrateth a Sabbath to Sathan and not vnto the Lord. Againe whereas I said it is to be obserued as a Sabbath of humiliation we learne that we are therein to abstaine not onely from labours as on the ordinarie Sabbath but also from food from exercise of sleepe from brauerie in apparell and from all worldly delights c. 57. Thirdly whereas I add that it is to bee sanctified both publickly and priuatly as a Sabbath of humiliation I signifie that not onely rest is required but also an holy rest and not onely the outward fast but much more the spiritual exercise of prayer and repentance And that this sanctificatioÌ„ of the day of the fast which standeth in vsing the meanes of sanctification is partly publicke and partly priuat The publick is in the assembly for this as euerie other Sabbath is a day of an holy assembly Leuit. 23.27 Ioel. 2.15.16 Here therefore we are to consider the office of the ministers who are the chiefe actors in the publicke sanctification of this and euerie Sabbath and the dutie of the people The office of the minister is noted in generall termes Acts 13.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they performed the publicke function of their ministerie vnto the Lord and fasted more specially Neb. 9 where they are noted to haue read and preached the word of God as before chap. 8. and that foure times and so oft also to haue called vpon the name of the Lord-Likewise Ierem. 36 when Ieremie being shut vp could not go into the house of the Lord he sendeth Barach with a booke written from his mouth wherein were specified the judgements of God threatned against the Iewes that he reading it in the audience of the people vpon the day of the fast they might be brought to a serious humbling of themselues in prayer and to vnfained repentance The dutie therefore of the ministers is to stirre vp themselues in a more than ordinarie measure of zeale to discharge their ministerie both in preaching the word of God and also in prayer In preaching that it may bee through the blessing of God a powerfull meanes to worke in the people those things which in this spirituall exercise are required viz. humiliation prayer with feruencie and faith and repentance In praying that it may be an effectuall meanes in and through the mediation of Christ our Sauiour and auaileable with the Lord for the remouing of those euils and for the bestowing of those good things for which this exercise is vndertaken 58. The dutie of the people is first to bee present at publick assembly for if we will sanctifie a Sabbath vnto the Lord we must reuerence his sanctuarie where as the Lord hath promised his presence so he requireth ours And for this cause as I sayd before this and euerie other Sabbath is appointed of the Lord to be an holy conuocation We must therefore take heed that we absent not our selues without very just and necessarie occasion lest we may seeme either secretly to neglect or prophanely to contemne the presence of Christ the gathering together of the Saints the publicke worship and seruice of God the call of the holy Ghost the meanes of our saluation the publicke occasion of the fast as though neither the publicke judgement nor the common good did concerne vs. But it is to little purpose to be present in the publicke assembly vnlesse we joyne together with the assembly in the sincere worship of God That being assembled together in the name of Christ we may as it were with one consent call vpon God and heare his word praying with humilitie in respect of our own vnworthinesse with reuerence of Gods majestie in sence of our wants with sorrow for our sins with earnest desire to haue our wants supplied our sins remitted and the judgemeÌ„ts of God remoued with faith assurance to find help to obtaine mercie in coÌ„uenient time with promise purpose to amend our liues that in sinceritie and truth we may subscribe to the prayer of the Church and say Amen Hearing also the word with reuerence with attention with faith with desire to profit with purpose to practise with submission to euery part thereof In a word so hearing the word of God as in this our present sute we desire to be heard Vnto these duties of religion and meanes of sanctification we are to joyne a publicke dutie of charitie as a worke of sanctification for it is and hath bene a laudable custome of the Church of God that in publicke fasts there should be publicke collection made for the releefe of the poore 59. But we are not onely publickly to sanctifie the day of the fast but also priuatly both by vsing meanes of sanctification and also by doing workes of sanctification The meanes are especially meditation prayer which are to be vsed both with reference to the publicke sanctification and that not onely before to prepare and fit our selues for the profitable and sauing vse of the meanes which Daniel calleth the setting of his face and the setling of his mind to seeke the Lord but also after to fit and apply the meanes to our vse and besides as priuat meanes by themselues without reference to the publicke The workes of sanctification are the duties of repentance whereof I spake before but especially the workes of mercie and charitie for with such sacrifices God is pleased 60. Wherefore the day of the fast is to bee obserâ—ed and sanctified as a Sabbath of humiliation not onely by outward abstinence rest but also by vsing the meanes and doing the workes of sanctification both publickly priuatly spending the whole day besides the publicke sanctification and the time which is to bee spent in our preparation before and in our meditation afterwards in the priuat means of sanctification as reading meditation prayer in the priuat works of sanctification as the duties of repentance towards God and the workes of mercy and charitie towards our brethren Which course whosoeuer shal take in sanctifying a fast vnto the Lord he shal be sure to obtaine at the haÌ„ds of God either that particular request for which he is an humble sutor vnto the Lord or that which is better the Lord alwayes hearing his children thus suing vnto him and granting their requests as shall be most for his glory and their singuler good 61. HAuing thus set downe the doctrine of fasts according to the rule of Gods word and practise of ours and other reformed churches we are now to take a briefe view of the Popish fast that it may euidently appeare how
and judging those who are in affliction as though they were wicked men or hypocrits Which was a foule ouersight in the three friends of Iob who condēned him to be an hypocrit because God had so grieuously afflicted him And herein those curious persons did offend which we mentioned Luk. 13. for they supposed that those Galileans whose bloud Pilat mingled with their sacrifices were grieuous sinners in comparison of themselues In like sort the Barbarians when they saw the viper light on the Apostles hand They said among themselues surely this man is a murtherer whom though he had escaped the se◠yet vengeance hath not suffered to liue The vse then which we are to make of Gods judgements vpon others is in steed of censuring them to judge our selues and by the example of Gods correction vpon them if we will not be like to Balthasar our selues to learne repentance For if we in this time of the plague shall take occasion by the judgement of God vpon others to thinke better of our selues and worse of them we may feare least that sentence of our Sauiour may worthily bee applied to vs Doe you thinke that they which are visited are greater sinners than those commonly are which escape the plague I tell you nay but except you amend your liues you shall all likewise perish Neither let the Papists or Atheists thinke the worse of that religion which is professed among vs because the hand of God is vpon vs for as Peter sayth Iudgement beginneth at the house of God And those sinnes which the Lord seemeth to winke at or to passe ouer in others he will not suffer to goe vncorrected in his children Which course the Lord taketh with his children both in respect of his glorie and their good for if the Lord should spare them hauing committed some open sinne the enemies of God would be readie to object that God were a fauourer of such offences and that such sinnes were the fruits of that religion which his seruants professe But in respect of their good also the Lord correcteth his owne children sometimes when he seemeth to spare the wicked least with the wicked they should goe on in their sinnes to their destruction As the Apostle sayth When we are iudged we are chastified of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Thirdly from this doctrine let Atheists and Papists and all other wicked persons receiue this terror for if the Lord doth correct his owne deare children with whom he is reconciled in Christ how shall his enemies thinke to escape who haue no part in Christ For as Peter sayth The time is that iudgement hath begun at the house of God But if it begin with vs what shall be the end of those who obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be preserued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Behold sayth Salomon the righteous shall be recompenced that is corrected in the earth how much more the wicked and the sinner 2. Wee haue heard that it is the lot of the righteous to be afflicted in this world let vs now see what is their dutie when they are afflicted for that is the second thing which is here to be considered namely to pray that God would deliuer them or else arme them with patience Call vpon me sayth he in the day of trouble In like sort Iames Is any among you afflicted let him pray But here some bodie will object who seemeth to himselfe wiser than his fellowes that our times are set and appointed of God in his immutable decree which we may not hope to alter or change by our prayers I answere that Daniel although he knew by the prophecie of Ieremie that seuentie yeares were appointed to the captiuitie of the Iewes in Babylon yet notwithstanding he thought it his dutie in the end of those yeares to call vpon God for the deliuerance of his people for hee well knew which we must also acknowledge that as the Lord appointeth the end so also he appointeth the meanes among which the principall is prayer On the other side Ezechias although hee heard by the Prophet the sentence of the Lord That he should die and not liue notwithstanding by prayer obtained the prolonging of his life For as God had decreed to adde to his life fifteene yeares so he decreed prayer to be the meanes whereby that addition should be obtained And so the Niniuits though the Prophet Ionas had told them and they beleeued him that their citie within fortie dayes should be destroyed yet by humbling themselues before God by fasting and prayer and repenting from their euill wayes they escaped that common destruction And hereunto may bee added the examples of the faithfull in all ages who hauing called vpon God in their trouble haue beene deliuered out of their distresse Adde also the testimonie of Iames that the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much with God and also the commandements of God and his gracious promises both in this place and elsewhere in the Scripture And let vs know that it is damnable curiositie vnder a pretence of submitting our selues vnto the secret will of God to rebell against his will reuealed For as Moses sayth The secret things belong to the Lord our God but the reuealed things vnto vs and to our children for euer that we may doe all the words of this law But by this reason a man might as well refuse his food because the day of his death is appointed and cannot be altered by him which euery man knoweth to bee both wicked and foolish Let vs therefore know that whatsoeuer the secret will of God is concerning vs that his reuealed will is that in this time of affliction we should according to the example of Dauid pray vnto him and let vs assure our selues of this That if God in his secret counsell hath decreed to deliuer vs for our good he hath also decreed that our deliuerance shall bee begged and obtained by prayer Yea but sayth another afflictions must be borne patiently and meekely and therfore wee may not pray against them I answere that these things may well stand together for we must patiently beare afflictions and yet pray against them Indeed we may not pray against them absolutely but in our prayers we are willingly to submit our selues to the good will and pleasure of God and resigne our selues into his hands following therein the example of our Sauiour Christ O my father sayth he if it be possible let this cup passe from me neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And of Dauid who in his greatest distresse said Behold here am I let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes Wherefore whiles it pleaseth God to continue the affliction we are patiently to beare it and yet without fainting to call vpon God for deliuerance for so
carefull to auoid our sinnes if we desire that our affliction may be remoued for they are as a wall of separation betwixt God and vs. If therefore thou wilt not ceasse to sinne neither will God ceasse to afflict thee vnlesse perhaps hee will giue thee ouer as one that is incurable as Phisitians sometimes giue ouer their patients when they thinke them past cure And to conclude this point if when thou callest vpon God in the time of trouble the Lord doth not deliuer thee examine they selfe whether thou doest not continue in sinne without repentance and if thou doest breake off thy sinne by repentance and turne vnto the Lord and he will heare thee for so he saith by the Prophet Esay after hee had protested that hee would not heare their prayers whiles they continued in their sinnes Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes before mine eyes ceasse to do euill learne to do well seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse defend the widdow Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll The second limitation is in respect of the prayer it selfe For we haue no assurance that God will heare euerie prayer but onely such as is made according to his will reuealed in his word as Iohn saith this is our assurance that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. We must therefore be carefull that our prayer be conformable to the word of God both in respect of the maner and forme how we pray and also in regard of the end as touching the manner there are three things which are especially required First that we pray in truth for it maybe that when thou callest vpon God thou prayest in hypocrisie and not from thine heart either because thou prayest with wandring thoughts or with fained lippes With wandring thoughts when as thy tongue vttering a prayer thy heart goeth a wandring or whoring after the vanities of this world or is otherwise distracted with other vnseasonable thoughts For if when thou commest neere to the Lord with thy lippes thou remouest thy heart from God thou maist justly feare left in steed of the blessings which thou seemest to aske thou pull down the judgements of God vpon thee according to the threatning of the Lord by the Prophet Esay chapter 29. For if thou shouldest joyne into one speech the thoughts of thy mind and the words of thy mouth both which the Lord doth vnderstand a like thou wouldest be ashamed to deliuer such a speech to a mortall man which thou art not ashamed to vtter vnto the immortall God Or how canst thou looke that God should heare or regard thy prayer when thou doest not heare nor regard thy selfe With fained lippes thou prayest when the desire of the heart doth not agree with the prayer of thy lippes when thou askest with thy mouth that which thou doest not desire with thine heart or when thou pretendest that in thy prayer which thou doest not intend or promisest that which thou doest not meane to performe this is no better than lying vnto God when men cry vnto God but not from their harts as the Prophet Hosea speaketh for what doth a man but lie when hee speaketh otherwise than he thinketh This is a common fault of men when they are in affliction to promise and pretend great matters when notwithstanding their heart is not vpright with God and therefore the more carefully to be auoided of vs lest we seeme with the vnsound Israelits when the hand of God was vpon them to go about to deceiue the Lord with our mouth and with our tongue to speake lies vnto him It is true indeed that God hath promised to heare the prayers of them that call vpon him but this promise is to bee vnderstood with restraint to them that call vpon him in truth As Dauid most plainely teacheth Psal. 145 The Lord is neare to all that call vpon him what to all yea to all that call vpon him in truth For that payer which is acceptable to God is not onely the moouing of the lippes or the speech of the tongue or the lifting vp of the eyes or hands but it is the lifting vp of our soules as Dauid describeth his prayer Psal. 25 A lifting vp of our hearts with our hands vnto God in the heauens as Ieremie exhorteth vs to pray it is the pouring forth of our soule before the Lord as Anna expresseth her prayer 1. Sa. 1 and as Dauid willeth vs to pray Ps. 62. The second thing required in respect of the maner is that we pray with feruencie of spirit It may be when thou callest vpon God thou prayest for fashion rather then for feeling and so vtterest a cold or luke-warme prayer like to thy selfe which thou mayst justly feare is no more acceptable vnto God than luke-warme water to the stomacke It is true that the prayer of the righteous man auaileth much but with this addition if it be feruent This is that prayer which pierceth the clouds and is effectuall with God If therefore we would obtaine our sute let vs craue the assistance of Gods spirit by whose helpe and direction we may pray with sighes that cannot be expressed let vs learne to poure forth our soules like a streame of water let vs as the Apostle speaketh in the Epistle to the Thessalonians pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superabundantly or exceedingly let vs with reuerence be it spoken to the glorious majestie of God wrestle with the Lord in our prayers as the Apostle speaketh which kind of wrestling Iacob hauing vsed Gen. 32 he became Israell that is one which preuaileth with God as the Prophet Hosea sheweth chapter 12.3 4. The third thing required in the manner is that wee pray with faith It may bee when thou prayest thou art in doubt whether thou shalt be heard and therefore mayst not looke to obtaine thy sute For it is the prayer of faith to which the promise is made whatsoeuer you aske in prayer saith our Sauiour Christ if you beleeue you shall receiue it Likewise Iames If any man saith he want wisdome let him aske it of God and it shall be giuen him But let him aske in saith and wauer not for he that wauereth is like a waue of the sea tost of the wind and caried away Neither let that man thinke that he shall receiue any thing of the Lord. If therefore thou wouldest pray acceptably thou must pray with faith for without faith it is impossible to please God With faith I say in God for how canst thou call vpon him in whom thou doest not beleeue with faith in Christ being assured that both thou though sinfull in thy selfe thy prayer though vnperfect in it selfe
measure of their graces either in respect of the greatnesse or of the continuance that patience may haue her perfect worke in them And hence it is that the best men haue endured the greatest trials as appeareth in Abraham Dauid and Iob c. Wherefore Iames exhorteth vs to count it exceeding ioy when we fall into manifold temptations knowing that the triall of our faith for so he calleth affliction bringeth foorth patience And let patience sayth he haue her perfit worke that you may be perfit and entire lacking nothing If the Lord doe trie vs to discouer and bewray our weakenesse that so hee may abate our pride and humble vs before him it is sometimes expedient that the afflictioÌ„ should be prolonged though to our griefe for the present yet to our good in the end Because many men are able to endure the first brunt and therein greatly please themselues who notwithstanding in the continuance of the affliction doe notably bewray their weakenesse But because this kind of triall is also a chastisement let vs consider those fruits and effects which the Lord by chastisements doth worke in his children 1. First therefore the Lord doth chastise vs that hee might teach vs to know our selues and acknowledge our sinnes and might humble vs vnder his hand for prosperitie puffeth men vp and maketh them forget themselues 2. That he might stirre vs vp to call vpon him often and that with feruencie of spirit for when men enjoy their ease they are not vsually either so feruent or so frequent in prayer 3. That he might reclaime vs from sinne and might mortifie our corruptions for as fire purgeth gold so doth affliction the children of God 4. That he might teach vs obedience by those things which we suffer 5. That hee might waine our soules from worldly desires 6. That he might exercise and strengthen our faith and patience Well then call thy selfe to an account thou which thinkest it so long till thou bee deliuered First art thou not yet humbled vnder the mightie hand of God but continuest still as proud and as vaine as in former times assure thy selfe it is good for thee that thine affliction should be continued that thou mayest learne humilitie and the knowledge of thy selfe and mayest be brought to a more serious consideration of thy sinnes and of thy wretched estate in thy selfe 2. Doest thou not flie vnto the Lord by prayer or if thou prayest doest thou pray but coldly and as it were for fashion sake therefore the Lord delayeth to helpe and deliuer thee that thou mayest learne to call vpon him seriously and feruently 3. Hast thou not yet repented thee of thy sinne whereby thou diddest prouoke the Lords anger against thee Hast thou not yet turned to him that smiteth thee Therefore doth he continue thine affliction as thou continuest thine impenitencie and as thou delayest thy repentance so doth he delay his helpe 4. Hast thou not yet learned obedience by that which thou doest suffer Therfore doth he still continue thine affliction to teach thee obedience and to make thee partaker of his holinesse for although the chastisement of God vpon thee seeme grieuous for the time yet in the end it will bring foorth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto thee who art exercised thereby For which cause Dauid as hee professeth of himselfe that it was good for him that hee had beene afflicted that â—e might learne the statutes of the Lord so he pronounceth that man blessed whom the Lord doth chastise and teach in his law c. 5. Art thou still addicted to the world minding and affecting things below more than the things which are aboue Therefore the Lord mingleth thy worldly prosperitie with the gall of affliction that as nurses by laying bitter things vnto their dugs doe waine their children from them so hee by affliction might waine thee from the world and that through bearing the crosse thou mightest bee crucified to the world and the world to thee 6. Hast thou not yet learned patiently to beare the crosse to repose thine affiance in God more than in the meanes which God permitteth to thee Therefore doth he still continue thine affliction that thy patience might be exercised and by exercise confirmed as the Scriptures testifie therefore doth the Lord bereaue thee of other meanes that thou mightest relie onely vpon him Here then we are to be admonished to make a right vse of our afflictions and as we desire to be deliuered for our comfort so to labour that these or such like effects may by our affliction be wrought in vs for if wee desire to bee deliuered out of affliction before it hath wrought any good effect in vs wee desire vnawares that God should giue vs ouer as incorrigible When as therefore a faithfull man hath prayed effectually vnto the Lord for deliuerance out of affliction and yet is not deliuered let him know that it is not good for him to be deliuered as yet And withall let him bee persuaded of these two things First that God doth chastise him in loue for his profit according to his necessitie as being not delighted with our afflictions and therefore inflicteth vpon him no greater measure of affliction than in his fatherly wisedome he thinketh necessarie And therefore wee ought to possesse our soules in patience committing and resigning our selues into the hands of almightie God as of a most wise and louing father and most expert phisition of our soules A sonne that hath any grace in him will meekely submit himselfe to the chastisement of a wise and carefull father how much more ought we to submit our selues to the correction of our heauenly father A man that hath in his bodie any wounds or sores he will not onely be patient but thankefull also towards the surgeon that launceth or seareth his bodie that hee may cure it how much more ought we patiently and thankefully to suffer the Lord to afflict our bodies that he may saue our soules Secondly let him be assured that the Lord doth neuer reject the effectuall prayer of a faithfull man but alwayes heareth the same graciously if not according to his desire yet according to his profit yea that hee alwayes graunteth it if it be rightly conceiued For as we are to aske spirituall graces necessarie to saluation absolutely so wee are to beleeue absolutely that God will graunt the same vnto vs yea this is a certaine and comfortable truth that whosoeuer hath thus much grace truly and earnestly to desire any sanctifying grace the same grace is alreadie begun in him the Lord accepting in his children the will for the deed And as wee are to aske temporall blessings conditionally so farre foorth as the graunting thereof may stand with Gods glorie and our euerlasting good so we are to beleeue and to be assured that God will graunt the same so farre forth as may be for the