the glorie of God and loue to the saluation of our brethren that wee should wee might see that besides this grieuous plague that is and hath beene not onely vpon our enimies if wee haue anie but vpon our neighbours friends which requireth publike fasting wee had many causes to haue done it priuately often long before this in respect of the horrible abominations and sinnes committed against God and against men euery where And that we might be mooued vnto it indeed we may further consider that we haue not onely the example of men but of godly women in this kind who haue giuen themselues much vnto priuate fasting For we read in the Gospell of Anna the daughter of Phanuel who was a Prophetesse Luk 2.37 and a widow of a great age who went not out of the temple but serued God with fasting and praier night and day Anna the â—rophetesse â—sed much priuate fasting This holie woman liuing in those corrupt times a little before the comming of our Sauiour Christ when all things in the Church were out of order did often humble her selfe before God in fasting and praier and sought earnestly vnto God tor a redresse of them she did not hecrein loose her labour but had the fruite of them for it came to passe that though she were a widdow and about foure-score and foure yeres yet she liued to see Christ come in the flesh to her vnspeakeable comfort and confessed him likewise and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem to the comfort of many Thus we see how we ought to haue fasted priuately oftentimes before so might we happely haue escaped at the least some great things that haue befallen vs and obtained manie great blessings which now wee haue wanted and also we see what we must doe heereafter if wee will looke to escape many euils and enioy manie blessings with the children of God and that at this present we had neede to doe as wee doe euen to continue these publike fasts that so wee might make a supply of that which we should often priuately haue done before Thus also in the daies of Queene Hester the fast that was kept by all the Iewes in Sushan A priuate fast held in manie seuerall families at once for the turning awaie of that great mischiefe that was intended against them by proud Haman though it was coÌ„mon in respect of the whole Church of God in that citie that kept it yet it was priuate in respect of the seuerall places where it was kept namely not in any coÌ„mon place of assemblie but in their seuerall houses dispersed heere and there so that Hester Hest 4.16 and her maides kept it by themselues as she promised for herselfe and for them euen as the rest of the Iewes were willed to doe it â—he duties of 〈◊〉 houshoulâ—ers herein So ought euerie godly houshoulder at the foresight of anie iudgement of God like to come vpon the Church where they liue in which if anie such thing should come they must thinke that they are like to haue their part as Mordecay saide â—est 4 13. to Hester Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the kings house more then all the Iewes to seeke humblie vnto the Lorde themselues and theirs so many as are capable of it by fasting and praier priuately for the turning of it away when there is no publike order taken for it or likelihood that there shall be And this is that which the Apostle hath respect vnto when he thus writeth to the Corinthians â— Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one another except it bee with consent for a time that you may giue yourselues to fasting and praier and again come together that Satan tempt you not for your incontinencie Where hee speaketh to the maried parties the houseband and the wife and sheweth what duties they owe one to another 1. Cor. 7.3 as Let the husband giue vnto the wife due beneuolence and likewise also the wife vnto the husband yet for fasting and praier they may and ought for that time with both their consents separate themselues So that there may be occasions in all times for which the husband and the wife themselues alone or with the rest of their familie or with some other of their godly neighbors and friends may and ought to giue themselues priuately to fasting and praier and then the apostle sheweth how the maried coople should for a time in one dutie of theirs behaue themselues one toward an other And truely if wee had rightly considered of all things that haue fallen out in our time and well weighed them Priuate fasting ought to be intertained into mens houses and laide them to hart we might easely haue seene long agoe that God had giuen vs iust occasion to haue intertained this speciall part of his worship into our houses as well as anie other though hitherto it had little or no intertainment at all with the most nay they haue not once so much as saluted it a farre off And as by the grace of God wee haue in many houses where the Gouernours are anie thing religious priuate praier morning and euening and at other times priuate reading of the Scriptures priuate singing of Psalmes so ought we also somtimes to haue priuate fasting For wheÌ„ the Lorde hath laide some grieuous sickenesse euen vnto death vpon anie of our children sonnes or daughters as he did vpon Dauids then shoulde we haue with fasting praier sought vnto the Lord for them 1. Sam. 12.15 as hee did much more then when others haue beene in that case For what causes and what good might come thereby who haue beene neerer vnto vs as the husband or the wife who lie in the bosome one of another and are but one euen in the neerest bond as one flesh But especially when God hath taken any of them away and so hath come neerer vnto vs with his correction then had we much more cause thus in fasting to cast downe our selues at his feet in the humble confession of our sinnes which were the cause of it 2. Sam. 3.35 as Dauid did when Abner was slaine if he did so for one that was so farre off from him and had sometime also beene his enemie then we much more for those that haue beene neere vnto vs and alwayes our friends as of our familie and of our flesh And besides when God hath laid any speciall affliction vpoÌ„ our seruants Psal 35.12 69.9 for if Dauid did it for his enemies then wee much more for those whose seruice is not hurtfull but profitable vnto vs yea when any great sinnes haue broken out in any of our houshold which haue threatned some grieuous iudgement of God to enter in vpon vs for it or when wee haue seene sinne openly abound in others And if all men had thus done it might not onely haue kept this great plague out of many houses
our best or our second For as it is said of the Israelites wheÌ„ Moses brought them that ill tidings from the Lord â—od 33 4. after their idolatrie with their golden calfe that he would not goe with them but send an angell before them When the people heard this euill tidings they sorrowed and no man put on his best raiment it was a time of sorrow therefore they did not put on their best raiment So all times of fasting being times of sorrow all men and women then should haue off their best apparell and be dissolute rather then ordinarily careful in dressing of themselues for what curiositie can there be in putting on of a peece of sackecloth which in fasting was the common attire of them all â—here ouâ—ht 〈◊〉 a diffeâ—nce of our â—pâ—arell acâ—â—â—dinâ— to 〈◊〉 times And truely all experience both of holy Scripture and otherwise doth sufficiently shewe that godly wise men women haue obserued a difference according to the time as of other outward behauiour and things so of their apparell and thus as there hath bene a time of feasting and a time of fasting so a time to come foorth in their best in their worst apparell For it is noted of Hester that vertuous and noble Queene Hest 5.1 that at the end of the fast she put on hir roiall apparell that is such as was meete for a Princes to be seene in insinuating that during the time of the fast she wore other apparel or this change on the sudden should not haue beene obserued and declared 2. Sam. 12.20 And King Dauid also when the childe was dead and so no longer cause of seeking to the Lord by fasting and praier for the life of it He arose from the earth and washed and annointed himselfe and changed his apparel and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped that is he clothed himselfe like a king and did annoint and trimme vp himselfe to looke cheerefully to shew that whiles he fasted he was dissolute and carelesse of himselfe and abstained from all ornaments and delights So Iudith that vertuous woman when she went to Holophernes for the safegarde of her people did put off her widdowes apparell that is her mourning weede which during the time of her widdowhood she had worne before which was a time of mourning and then she did annoint herselfe and put on all maner of ornaments which though she had yet she did not vse them before so she had for the seueral times of sorrow and ioy sutable kinds of dressing and did vse them accordingly Then in the day of fasting wherein greatest sorrow should be and be openly professed wee should outwardly shew it in our apparell and dressing as well as in other things that both for costlinesse and curiositie it should differ froÌ„ other which though they be but outward things yet seeing they are practised of the godly and tend to this end â—ostâ—inesse f apparell nd curiositie 〈◊〉 drâ—ssing a reat fault pon the aie of fast we must follow their example Therefore it were a great sinne vpon this day to set out our selues in pride either of apparell or iewels or sweete odors and perfumes as flowers in our hands or bosoms farther then necessitie in time of infection requireth or of starching or curling and crisping of haire and so to come abroad to see and to be seene and in the daies of greatest humiliation to lift vp themselues highest and to set out themselues as it were to sale in all maner of brauerie and delight and then when they should cast down themselues lowest with the Publicane to receaue mercy they should set vp the Peacocks feathers highest as though they did not need it or cared not for it And this is to be noted the rather because that some if they come abroad and be seene will not abate one haire of their pride though they be very sluts and slouins at home if it offend not your eares so to call them And these are the outward exercises of the bodie which are common to al those that professe to keepe this holie ordinance as they should of what degree or calling soeuer they be there is one more remaining which is proper to all that are maried who as they haue one comfort and commoditie in that estate euen of their bodies aboue others so they are during the time of fast to abstaine from it â—uring the me of fast â—e maried â—rties are abstaine â—om the ariage bed for if we be debarred then of the vse of those things that are absolutely necessary for the preseruation of our liues then much more from those which are not of that necessitie but rather for the comfort of our liues and as all other pleasures delights and recreations which are at other times lawfull are to be withdrawen from the bodie so this also Therefore then the maried parties with mutuall consent are to absteine from the fellowship one of an other and from the mariage bedde as the Apostle speaketh Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one an other except it be with consent for a time that yee may giue your selues to fasting and praier and againe come together lest satan tempt you for your incontinencie whereas at other times he doth wholly forbid this abstinence least satan should tempt them to sinne by refusing the remedie of it so at this time he doth require it to this ende that hee nameth And this is so straitly required that it is forbidden euen to them that are but newely maried as to the bridergroome and the bride who in this haue the greatest liberty aboue all other for the Prophet Ioel calling all sorts of men and women vnto fasting because the punishment then vpon them was very great speaketh euen to both these by name and not onely willeth them also to fast but to run out of their chamber saying Gather the people Ioel. 2.16 sanctifie the congregation gather the Elders assemble the children and those that sucke the brests let the Bridegroome goe foorth of his chamber and the Bride out of her Bride-chamber And thus much of the seueral things wherin the outward abstinence consisteth which is the first part of this holy exercise now it remaineth that I should intreat of the inwarde vertues of the minde to be attained vnto by these meanes which are those that follow HOMIL III. The third Homilâ—e intreateth of the inward vertues of the minde to be attained vnto and professed in fasting without the which the outward abstinence is noâ—hing woorth namely of true humilitie and casting downe of our selues before God and wherein that consisteth and how necessary it is and by what meanes we may atttaine vnto it The outâ—ard abstiâ—ence is to â—urther vs â—n the inâ—ard graces â—f the spirit IN the former Treatise we haue shewed wherein the first part of fasting consisteth which thogh it be first in order yet is last in account that which in it self is referred
so haue died in the hie waies And againe it is like the leprosie that was among the Iews Leu. 14.34 which did hang in their houses and in certaine vessels a long time so it doeth remaine in the houses and bedding and garments of them that are dead a long time after and so breaketh out at the last sometimes a moneth and a great deale more after if good order be not taken to aire them euen then when they thought that all feare of danger was past All which doe shew what danger we are in though yet nothing be come vnto vs. And we may see it much more if we consider how the Psalmist compareth it to an arrow that flieth from one place to another speedily when hee saith Thou shalt not be afraied of the feare of the night Psal 91.5 nor of the arrow that flieth by day speaking of the pestilence so that as an arrowe flieth from one place quickely to another so doth this Flying abroad speedilie and closely like an arrow For a man shall come from one place to another a great way off and passe thorow many townes without hurting of anie though himselfe hath the plague euen as an arrow shal flie aloft in the aire and do no hurt nor touch any thing but then hee shall lodge or rest in such a towne twelue or twentie miles off or more and there he sickneth and dieth and leaueth the infection behinde him euen as an arrowe shot by a strong man is there mortall where it lighteth so is this arrow of the Lord shot out by his mightie hand who is skilfull to direct it to the place whither hee mindeth to send it so we may be in more danger thā we thinke though we be a great way off as a skilfull archer standing heere shooteth his arrow a great way off to the marke And sometimes they that goe abroad with running sores about them or hauing the infection in their garments and seeming to others to be in health and without danger haue infected others in the way as they haue gone where they haue tarried but a small while euen to eat and to drinke euen as an arrow doeth often hurt by glauncing at a thing besides the place where it lighteth Moreouer such is the nature of this disease that we may get hurt not onely by men liuing and dying but euen by other creatures which shall goe to or come from such places as are infected as cats dogs most of all and therefore in time of common plagues there is order taken in al cities or towns corporate which are well gouerned to kill vp all dogs that are not shut vp but runne abroad of what nature or kinde or qualitie or price soeuer they be least by comming into mens companie they shuld spread abroad the infection And we read that some onely but buying a dogs skinne in the market and bring-in it home they haue brought the pestilence into their house to the ouerthrow and destruction of the whole familie Seeing then that it is hath beene a long time in so many places there is no place so farre off from it or so free but hath iust cause to feare it more or lesse And therefore there is no place so cleere whether it may not speedily come because there are so many open and secret waies to bring it and so in the ordinarie course of gods prouidence all that haue wisedome may thinke it likely to come vpon them in this time if the Lorde be not mercifull vnto them Therefore in respect of Gods wrath manifestlie appearing in this grieuous pestilence though not yet vpon vs through the infinite goodnesse and mercy of God yet iustly to bee feared as wee haue seene wee must thinke and confesse that wee haue great cause by fasting praier to seeke vnto the Lord to turne that from vs before it come which as our sinnes haue deserued so wee see many means to bring it speedily vpon vs as other of his seruants haue done in the like case before And thus much for this present seeing the time cuttes me off from the rest of the first signe and token of Gods wrath likely to come obserued in the course of his prouidence as a sufficient cause of publike fasting HOMIL IX The ninth Homilie continueth to shew the causes of publike fastes namely when the wrath of God to come hath beene iustly feared in respect of the great sinnes that haue abounded and of the iudgement of God denounced against the same openly by the ministers of God And when Gods wrath hath not onely beene vpon themselues but vpon others of their brethren the children of God THe last daie we entring into this treatise of the consideration of the causes of publike fastings haue hitherto proceeded thus farre to shew that the seruants of God haue beene mooued thereunto not onely when some great punishment as a testimonie of Gods displeasure hath beene vpon them The wrath of God to come considered in sinne that hath abounded hath beene cause of publike fasts but when in the course of nature or of ordinarie meanes to serue Gods prouidence by there hath beene some likelihood of it it remaineth that I should proceed Therefore secondarily they haue considered of Gods displeasure likely to come vpon them by seeing and obseruing diligently the manifold great sinnes and notorious offences which in their time haue beene committed for which they truely iudged and feared that God must needs some waie punish them according to the number and greatnesse of the same though hee had borne with them a long time and the longer that of his great patience he had forborne them the greater and more speedie shoulde his punishment bee according to his iustice And this they haue certainely gathered from the constant trueth of Gods threatnings reuealed in his holy lawe and from the continuall execution of the same vpon others from time to time Seeing then that the Lord is iust and true and that he hath threatned to punish sinne so and so as is largely set downe in the Lawe and the Prophets specially the bookes of Moses Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. when they haue seene sinne to abound then they haue no lesse wisely then certainely concluded that wrath is at hand because God is offended For euen as when all flesh had corrupted their waies vpon earth Gen. 6. hee brought in the floud of water and drowned the whole world and when the crie of Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sinne exceeding grieuous Gen. 18.20 the Lord rained brimstone and fire from heauen vpon them Gen. 15.16 and ouerthrew them and all the inhabitants of them And when the wickednesse of the Ammonites and of the Canaanites was full Iudg. 2.11 then the land spued them out and when the Israelites in the time of the Iudges did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtarosh the wrath of the Lord was hot
against them and he deliuered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them and hee solde them into the hands of their enemies round about them so that they could no longer stand before their enemies And in the time of the Kings for the same cause they were caried away captiues into Babylon 2. Chro. 36.15 because the Lord sending his messengers to reclaime them from their sinne rising earelie because hee had compassion on them they mocked the messengers of God and misused his prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against them and till there was no remedie for he brought vpon them the Kings of the Chaldeans who slew their yong men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuarie and spared neither yoong man nor virgine ancient nor aged God gaue all into his hand And at the last for refusing Christ and his holie Gospell they were vtterly destroied by the Romanes so that alwaies when sinne hath abounded the wrath of God hath beene neere Rom. 1.18 and readie to be reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men and they that haue beene wise-hearted haue obserued it and so this hath beene sufficient cause to mooue them by fasting and praier to seeke betimes to haue it turned awaie And this they haue done euen then Euen then when outwardly there hath beene no shew of danger when there was no likelihood of anie euill to come vpon them in respect of any outward meanes that did portend it but onely their sinnes the cause of it in respect of Gods iustice did giue them cause to feare it Thus did Ezra Ezr. 9.1 the priest and the rest of the Iewes that feared God euen a verie great congregation when he vnderstoode that the Priests Leuites and the rest of the people had married strange wiues contrarie to the law of God euen of the Canaanites Hittites Iebusites Egyptians and such like he feared some plague to come vpon them for it and so confessed their sinne vnto God and craued pardon with all humilitie and earnestnesse in fasting and praier for he rent his clothes and his garments and pluckt off the haire off his head and of his beard and sate downe astonied and there assembled vnto him all that feared the wordes of the God of Israel because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie and so he sate downe astonied with them vntill the euening sacrifice and then he tell vpon his knees and spread out his hands vnto the Lord God made that humble supplication for them that followeth there Ezr. 9.6 And after that he arose vp from before the house of God and went into a chamber but he did neither eate bread nor drinke water for he mourned because of the transgressions of them of the captiuitie Ezr. 10.6 Thus though in respect of all outward things they had great cause of reioicing for he and many of the people were but newly returned out of their long captiuitie and were come vp to Ierusalem from Babel Artahshaste the King of Persia had theÌ„ giuen him all his request Ezr. 7.6 according to the hand of the Lord his God which was vpon him yet in respect of the common sinnes of their time they sound Gods wrath and mourned for it and by fasting and prayer sought to preuent it If we then had but eyes to see and hearts to consider of the innumerable great sinnes of our time which as a great floud haue ouerflowen the whole land so that there is no place nor calling free from the same but as it is sayd of the Israelites The Priests and the people trespassed woonderfully so it may be said of our time 2. Chro. 36.14 The commoâ— sinnes of ouâ— time might more vs to publike fasting if there were nothing els High and low haue woonderfully offended God we might easily perceiue that though there were no plague at all among vs or punishment vpon vs nor any by all likelihood to be feared yet for our sinnes the crie wheâ—â—of is exceeding grieuous in the cares of the Lord of hosts and is ascended vp into the heauens long agoe and calleth for vengeance against vs as theirs of Sodom and Gomorrah did Gen. 18 2â— wee had iust cause to feare his wrath and so by fasting and prayer to seeke speedilie to preuent it For to let passe the strange mariages between the Protestants and Papists which without any scruple of conscience are too frequently vsed which seemed to be the onely sinne of that time in the daies of Ezra â—zr 9.2 that the people of God were so vnequallie yoked and as it is said there they had mixed the holy seed with the people of the landes To let this passe wee may with the Prophet beholde a thousand abominations more â—zek 8.9 â—8 15 for what periâ—rie blasphemie is there besides common swearing what intolerable pride in all sorts euen like vnto Lucifer himselfe what swelling one against another what enuie heart-burning hatred malice crueltie oppression what drunkennesse and gluttonie and surfetting what abominable adulterie fornications and all kinde of vncleannesse with chambering and wantonnesse as though men had cleane forgotten the Lord 1. King 21.20 and solde themselues to doe euill But to passe by all these things with silence though they bee verie great let vs looke but to this one thing the generall contempt of Gods holie Word that inestimable treasure of his Gospell which he hath bestowed vpon vs euen that precious pâ—â—rle Math. 12.43 which when a man hath sound hee should sell all that he hath and buy it Especially the generall contempt of the Gospell in all placeâ— whether wee consider of those places where it is not how it is neglected not sought for of them or where it is how it is not there regarded how many haue no care to preach it sincerelie and more haue no care to follow it in their liues so that the profession that is made of it is more for estimation and credit than of conscience and loue that then beare to it and it is more in the head than in the heart more in the tongue than in deed more in shewe than in trueth And a great number though they haue had it thus long yet are not only not bettered thereby but are a great deale worse than they were many yeeres ago This open and manifest contempt of the Gospell I say which is a greater sinne than all the sinnes of Sodom â—ath 10. â— For it shall be easier for them of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of iudgement then for them we must needs confesse that for it we had cause long agoe to feare the death of our most gracious soueraigne Queene and now since it hath happened we may well say with Job The thing that we feared â—â—b 3.25 is come vpon vs and though the Lord hath maruellously and beyond all our hope