the end or exit of the verse where we shall meet with nothing but lachryma and suspicia Tears sighs sobs sorrows deploration lamentation fit meditations for our sorrowfull souls for the end doth hold a correspondency with the beginning Cry unto the Lord. Sanctifie a fast Against some Vertues some Emulators have not stuck to speak but against Fasting no man ever opened his mouth Mahomet himselfe never denyed the noblenesse of Fasting but rather so much commended it that our Fastings should be ashamed to stand in competition with theirs And I find such forcible Arguments upon this point that me thinks it s but a superfluous labour to advise whether it be to be done or no. It s but superfluous to advise a man that is sick to observe a dyet so it s as needlesse a thing to command a man to Fast who from the beginning of the world took a surfet of eating Ninive was saved by Fasting And Joel me thinks proposeth the like means when he cryes unto the people Convertimini ad me in jejunio Turne unto me in Fasting c. The antiquity of fasting For the antiquity of Fasting we find That when the Law of Grace was first published through the world Fasting was Proclaimed John came neither eating nor drinking And the first step of our Saviours pennance for our sins was Fasting in token that our first hurt came by Eating The first Law that God gave man after that he had Created him was Gen. 2.17 That he should not Eat of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill wherein two things were to be noted the one That man in this so great an happinesse should not forget that he had a Lord and Master The other had an eye to the repairing of his future fault and that man might understand that he should in Fasting find a remedy for that hurt which came unto him by Eating And as a wise Physitian feeling the sick mans Pulse finds out his ill disposition and perceiving that his sicknesse grew from that ill ripened Fruit which even to this day is not yet fully digested did prescribe this Recipe as a Medicine to cure this our Malady to the end that as a man did Eat to sicknesse so he might Fast to health And as Gluttony did banish us from Paradise so Fasting might recall us thither again So that not Fasting was the cause of all evills sin as you have it before was the cause of all our misery Now out not Fasting I meane not abstaining from the forbidden Fruit was the sin so that all those evills that are now in the world are in recompence of that wrong which was done in Paradise unto Fasting And not onely our first Parents smarted for it but all their Posterity even to this day and if any thing help this surfeit it must be Fasting The Prodigall cryes out Fame perco I dye by hunger whereupon this presently followeth Surgam ibo ad Patrem meum I will arise and goe to my Father It was Fasting and Hunger there you see that restored him presently to his former estate So that if our ancient lost liberty could possibly be repayred it were no wayes better to be recovered then by Fasting and if by Fasting the ship of this our life takes in no water and without it is overwhelmed and drowned Let us lay the whole lading of all our ill or good upon our Fasting Saint Ambrose proveth That while Fasting continued in the World God did still better and enrich it with new things The first day he Created the Light the second Heaven the third Earth the fourth Sunne Moone and Starrs the fifth the Fishes of the Sea and the fowles of the Ayre and though he gave them his blessing yet he did not say unto them that they should Eat The sixth Beasts of the field and Man and giving them licence to Eat the Works of God and the perfections of the World were ended wherein God gave man as it were a Watch-word that Eating would be his undoing And as St. Chrysostome hath it If in that so happy an estate Fasting was so necessary what shall it be in this miserable condition of ours Saint Johns Disciples said unto Christ Master Why doe we and the Pharisees Fast and thy Disciples Fast not He answered While the Bridegroome is present the Children are not to weep but the time shall come wherein they shall not have him with them and then they shall Fast and Mourne The presence of our Saviour and the enjoying of his most sweet company did bridle their appetites and keep their soules in subjection but in his absence he inferreth that this must he done by Fasting I might stay to tell you of miraculous effects by Fasting in Niniveh in Moses in Elias in Daniel in Easter in the Mothers of Sampson and Samuel in Judith in others and how David with Fasting covered the faults of his whole life Sola gula peccavit saith Saint-Bernard sola jejuâ—et sufficit Onely Gluttony offended let Grutteny onely Fast and it sufficeth not that the Vertue consisteth wholly in abstaining from Meat for our Saviour Faâ—â—ed but when he was oppressed with Hunger he did Eat And the like may every good Christian doe yet a man may deny that to desire which he may grant to necessity So that Carnis curam nè feceritis in desiderâ—is Let the cockering of your Flesh be no part of your desire but the maine or principall Fasting is to Fast from sin to which the other Fasting is but onely a preparative So that all this Discourse touching Fasting is but superfluous having such forcible Arguments to move us thereunto I rather therefore think better to advise you how it ought to be done and that without trespassing at all against my own ease you your selves may sufficiently see in that of Saint Paul to the Corinthians Sive comedatis sive bibatis sive quid aliud facitis omnia in gloriam Dei facite 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink doe all to the glory of God Which that ye may the better doe in your Fasting observe these foure particulars 1. That we must not onely doe good but shun evill let us not be like those Hypocrites whom the wind of vain glory rob'd of all the good they did we are but dust and the Gospel bids us beware of Winde Mat. 6.16 that we be not carried away therewith this vain ostentation of man hanging our Consciences upon other mens lips but for our parts we must not onely doe good but shun evill 2. We must acknowledge That our Fastings and good works are more from God then our selves Non possumns cogitare aliquid ex nobis Of our selves we cannot so much as think a good thought Mans poverty is so great that he cannot so much as come to a good thought and therefore may not make Merchandise of that wealth which is none of his own but God is so free in the works of
War our Land unnaturally embroyled in her own blood and not long agoe could have presented you even in the middest of her own bowels with whole heaps of slain This Land of England that for many Ages continued the happiest Nation on the habitable Earth under the gracious our Government of many famous Princes and we of our times cannot deny but we have enjoyed the highest blessings that either Heaven could give or the Earth receive the fruition of the Gospel which then setled a firme Peace and which Peace occasioned a full plenty to us a then thriving and I think a well-contented people insomuch that this Land then became the Earths Paradise and the Worlds Wonder or rather Envy Now alas the Nurcery of all Sects and of late years the Stage of Blood the Theatre of Warre having had her Peace violated her Plenty wasted and her People discontented and though now thanks be to God we heare not the ratling of Drums the clashing of Armour the neighing of Horses the sounding of Trumpets the thundring of Guns or the roaring of Cannons yet it is to be feared the Lord is still up in Armes against us his hand is stretched out still else what means these reports of Wars vast slaughters and murders on the Seas our Merchants and Traders spoyled their Goods Plundered their Ships burnt sunk or taken and themselves in their own defence either flain or carried away Captives So that all this little while or few years we seemed to enjoy a Peâ—ce every man again satiating himself under his own vine and firtree was so far from a true Peace with God as that rather it forms it was but a Truce for a time God expecting our amendment which being expired and we still continuing in our sins the Lord is again up in Arms for further revenge against us And what is the reason that the Lord is still thus incensed against this Land and people of England Surely it is against the nature of God to be continually chiding and scourging and whipping and wounding for the Lord our God hath no other Bowels then the Bowels of compassion no other Riches then the riches of his mercy nay the unlimited extent of Gods gracious mercy and goodnesse is beyond all imaginable proportions How coms then his favours to be turned into frownes his mercies into displeasures Why Surely if you will but trace the Seriptures you shall never find God angry but for fin nor grievously angry but for grievous fin so that the fins of this Nation must needs be mounting towring fins sins of the highest elevation and it s the height of our sins that hath alwayes brought down the weight of his judgements upon us and the eart ropes of our sins have hurried down his vengeance So that if we will but reflect upon our selves we shall find within our selves the cause of all our sufferings Plagues punishments and Woes our sins being the occasion of all our evils and the cause of all our miseries undermining our souls and drawing destruction after them and of all things else most hurtfull unto us St. Paul confirms this saying 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weak and sick amongst you and many sleep And this was the reason why the Disciples questioned their Master saying Iohn 9.2 Quis peccavit Who did sin this man or his Parents Celidonius was born blind and our Saviour Christ going out of the Temple seeking to shun those stones which they intended to throw at him he cast his eye upon this poor blind man for the eye of divine pitty is ever fixed upon poverty and it is the priviledge of humane misery to have the eye of divine pitty to look down upon it and to favour the same so that he healed him at once both in body and soule The History is no lesse large then pleasing you may reade it at your leisures Now the Disciples having whispered amongst themselves touching this mans misfortune well knowing that sin what the occasion of all evill they askt our Saviour Quis peccavit what sin and wherein they went wisely to work in attributing punishment in the generall to sin One treating of those tears which our Saviour shed at Lazarus his death saith That he did not bewayle his Buriall for he know how happy he was in being out of the World but the occasion sinne He thought upon Adams Apple that had been the cause of so much hurt and this was it that made him to weep and this his weeping was as if he should have said What a deale of sorrow hath this one act of disobedience in him brought upon all Mankind and consequently upon me who must bear the burthen of his and their offence O sin how dear wilt thou cost both men and me Trace but the Scripture and you shall not find any one thing so often repeated there as That sin is the cause of our miseries How often doth the word of God paint out the foulnesse and grievousnesse of sin and the hurt that coms thereby making fin the very center of all possible infelicity and misfortune that can befall a man Sin was it that made our Saviour a Man full of sorrow when he took upon him the Person of an Offender turning the most favourable countenance of the most pittifull Father into frowns and florce displeasure against his onely begotten and dearly beloved Sonne discharging upon him the tempest of his wrath and made him of all other men the most miserable So that we may conclude Sin to be the cause of all our harm and that all possible ill that can be imagined is to be reduced unto it as to its Center Make a muster of all the enemies of man as Death the Devill the World and the Flesh and not any one of them nay not all of them together have the least power to hurt us without sin And therefore in our Lords Prayer silencing all other our enemies onely we beg of God that he would free us from sin But deliver us from evill which although some doe understand it to be spoken of the Devill yet as St. Aug. saith He can but barke he cannot bite onely Sin is able to doe both And Anselme saith That he had rather fry without sin in the flames of Hell then with sin enjoy Heaven He might well say so in regard of Hell for although that one drop of the water of Paradise might be sufficient to quench the slames of Hell yet shall it not be able to wash away the foulnesse of sin The Prophet desired of God 1 Kings 19.4 that he might dye under the Juniper tree and yet he would not be rid of his life by Jezabel in regard of the sinne that tyraunicall Queen should have committed 〈◊〉 that even in his mortall enemy so great an ill seemeth intollerable to him And though sin be so great an evill yet to this so great an hurt may be added another that is far greater and that is
Vertue and so bountifull That being at all the charge himselfe he gives thee all the gaine onely he wills that thou give the glory unto him and take the profit to thy selfe That workman shall doe ill who having built a house with another mans purse should goe about to set up his own Arms upon the Frontispiece Justinian made a Law That no Master workeman should set up his name within the body of that Building which he made out of anothers cost Christ sets thee on work and wills thee to Fast to Pray to give Almes but who is at the cost of this so good and great a worke God thou hast all thy materialls from him the building is his it is his Purse that payes for all give then the Glory and the Honour to him Gloriam meam alteri non dabo I will not give my Glory to another content thou thy selfe with Heaven which is promised unto thee if thou dost well which is a sufficient reward for any service thou caust doe 3. Beware of Hypocrisie in Fasting Fasting Praying and giving of Almes done onely for Gods sake is of that great price and estimation that it is ill imployed on any other then God and for that God weighes all things in his hand as in a ballance and knows the weight of every good work and the true value thereof it grieves him that they should doe these good things for so vile and base a price and is sorry to see thee so foolish and poor a Merchant that thou wilt part with that which is as much worth as Heaven to thee for that which is lesse then Earth namely that the World should onely say thou hast Fasted Why doest thou thus crucifie thy flesh why debarre thy belly of food why being ready to dye for hunger dost thou not eat why liftest thou up thine eyes to Heaven for so poor a thing as to win applause upon Earth Those works saith Iob that are done for God are Gold but done for the World are Dirt they lay up this their treasure in the Tongues and Eyes of men which is a Chest that hath neither Lock nor Key unto it 4. Fasting is a Plaister for our wounds a Medicine for our Griefes a Salve for our Sins and a Defence against Gods Wrath but you must take heed that you doe not make this Plaister Poyson this medicine sicknesse this salve a sore and this defence your destruction for where God hath a Church there the Devill will have a Chappell and where he throws in Seed there the other will sow Tares 1 King 21 Naboth a Subject of King Ahabs had a Vineyard in Samaria neer unto the Kings Pallace the King had a mind unto it Naboth will not part with it the King grows sad refuses his meat Iesubel comes to see him makes a jest of it takes Pen in Hand dispatches a Ticket to the Governours of that City sealed with the Kings Seale to Proclaime a Fast subornes two Witnesses to sweare That they heard Naboth blaspheme God and the King innocent Naboth is stoned to death and his goods confiscated In which action there are two things worthy our consideration The one That the circumstance of blaspheming God and the King upon a solemne day of Fast was so grievous that of force he must be condemned to dye for it in so great veneration was Fasting in those dayes The other That it served as a cloak for the taking away of the Vineyard and for the falsifying of Witnesses and injustice in the Judges Who should have then seen the people to Fast would have thought it had been done out of Zeale Gods Honour and a desire to doe him service but it was meerly a trick of the Devils which he had plotted with himselfe he threw poyson upon vertue seeking to draw evill out of good We must therefore beware least these our good actions receive not hurt by evill intentions And therefore farre be it from among any of you that upon these solemne dayes of Fasting there should lurk under the sable habit of a monrner any false hearted or hypocriticall masker for it is to be feared that among many in this Land of ours even upon our solemne dayes of Humiliation masking might be found in mourning But the Fast that God requires you may see in Isaiah 58.5.6.7 Is it such a Fast that I have chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day and hang downe his head like a bulrush and lye downe in sackcloth and ashes Wilt thou call this a Fasting or an acceptable day unto the Lord Here the Prophet shewes That God neither approves nor condemnes Fasting in it selfe further then when it is applyed to the right end So that here is the abuse in Fasting when men put holinesse in it and in either despising or neglecting true godlinesse they think that the bodily exercise alone fussiceth but he protests That this is not acceptable to him to see one continue a day without meat and to go sorrowfully with his head hanging down like a bulrush and lying downe in sackcloth and ashes he taxes these superstitious gestures wherein Hypocrites are wont to place a kinde of holinesse not that he condemnes these externall rites but rebukes these Hypocrites for separating the truth from the signes And in the next Verses he tells you what kindâ— of Fast it is that God likes and allowes of Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heavy burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake every yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that wander into thy house When thou seest the naked that thou cover him and hide not thy selfe from thine own flesh Here the Prophet shews first what the Lord chiefly and principally requires in our Fast Secondly by what means our services may be acceptable before him And thirdly How those ought to be fitted and prepared that meane to Fast In a word you may see here wherein the true offices of Piety which are principally commanded of God consist namely in comsorting the poor and oppressed We may likewise see here the duties God allows of in Fasting what makes our fasts allowed of approved and acceptable unto God namely when together with Fasting Charity is joyned with it The Fast that God hath chosen is to loose the bands of wickednesse Some expound it the wicked thoughts wherewith men are bound and intangled And it may passe for currant for the principall Fasting is to Fast from sinne But it seems Isaiah meant otherwise namely That Hypocrites are very cruell and mercilesse towards the poor and lay very heavie yokes upon them he calls that Knots or Bands which we commonly tearme Oppressions to which that agrees which is added to take off the heavy burthens under the weight whereof the poor and needy groane and are in a manner overwhelmed therewith The Prophet me
whosoever doth desire the word to be saved thereby let him tremble at it and yet embrace it let him prepare his heart better to entertaine it let him stirre up the spirit of his mind to understand it let him not lose such precious seed for want of harrowing in by due Meditation and let him cherish it in his inward thoughts continually that it may grow and prosper and more shew it selfe in his speeches actions and company then those bryar-like sprouts of his owne naturall corruptions Secondly we must see to it that we be doers of the word as well as hearers we must not onely know but observe and doe for Knowledge without Practice will availe nothing and so much of the truth as is put into practice is sure for ever the rest may be lost and it is a singular help to a Christian to set upon his obedience while the Doctrine is yet fresh in his mind for delay will compasse him about with many difficulties and he will want those inward incitations that might stirre up his heart with power and strength to obey And that this is the duty of every man as well to doe as to heare James 1.22 Rom. 2.6 see that in Saint James Now ye heare these things blessed are ye if ye doe them And Saint Paul saith That every man shall be judged not by his hearing but by his doing by his works Then up and be doing every one of you whilst time and strength permits for not onely that Fig-tree which had no Fruit was accursed but that Tree likewise which brought not forth good Fruit was to be hewen downe and cast into the Fire Luke 3.9 And those who have not fed the poor and clothed the naked c. will be bidden Depart ye oursed into everlasting fire Mat. 25.41 Then what shall become of those shadows and Ciphers among Christians who place their Religion onely in hearing surely they want all substance of grace and being put into the Ballance as Belshazzar was they shall certainly be found too light when the rewarding of every one shall be according to his works then can they expect nothing but tribulation and anguish which shall be to every soule that doth evill And it is to be feared if inquisition were made more then our common sort might be taxed for this neglect in doing even some of those who pretend a great deale of Zeale to the Word and are frequent and attentive hearers and will runne to Meetings and make glorious shewes of Devotion giving Religion a thousand good words but for this duty of doing procul absit they have no heart unto it Covetousnesse still prevailes in them and some of them who would be thought rare Professors can perhaps sometimes be content to drinke a draught of stollen Waters as well as others making Religion a pretext onely the more covertly to wallow in the mire of their sins but such Kind of Professors what Zeale soever they may shew to the world are but Painted Christians beautifull onely outward and woe unto them that are such for notwithstanding all their glistering shewes they are but whited Sepulchers and comely out sides not like unto Christs Spouse all glorious within but full of rottennesse and corruption But as for you be you both hearers and doers alter you the course of your lives breake off your sins shake off the bands of Sathan dissolve the Cloudes of your iniquities fly wickednesse shun evill doe well doe good and aspire to such perfection in doing the will of your God as that you may not onely cease from evill but fill your lives with good workes and thus shall you be blessed ipso facto in the very deed for he that doth the Word is blessed he is no longer under the Curse a Vassall of wrath and a Child of perdition but blessed with Gods favour and love and in the certaine way to that unspeakable happinesse that shall hereafter be revealed But he that heateth the Word and doth it not deceives himselfe cheats and cousens his own soule and is but a forgetfull Foole a very Childe and no Man he dallieth with the Word as a Babe with a Looking glasse beholding it not for any end but to sport it selfe therewith never intending any thing about the Face to rectifie it or to set it in order Saint John doth divide the whole world into two sorts of Persons Qui ex Deo est non peccat Qui peccat ex Diabolo est The Children of God and the Children of the Devill the one hears Gods Word the other heares it not He that is of God heareth Gods Word John 8.47 Ye therefore heare it not because ye are not of God And to be hearers of the Word of God is a great pledge or testification that we are the Children of God especially our hearing of Gods word being accompanied with these foure concurring Circumstances The first is Audire to heare the word Blessed are they that heare the Word of God this is the first step and he that doth not put a Foot forward to this he is not to be accounted a Child of God The second is Audire cum frequentia to heare the word frequently and often The Earth that is extraordinary dry and scorched with heat the drops of water which it receiveth it turneth into Toads So he that seldome frequents Sermons it is to be scared they worke little good upon him if not turne to his hurt For the word of God is the Soules sustenance and being Ministred slowly it is no marvaile if the Soule not onely grow leane but fall into a Consumption The third is Audire cum attentione to heare diligently and with attention freeing the Soule from all worldly incumbrances for as the Eye cannot joyntly and at once behold both Heaven and Earth so the Soule cannot attentively at one and the same time behold the things of the world and of God If any Man love the World the love of the Father abideth not in him When a great and principall River is divided into many rivolets or little streames so much the lesle water will every one of them have The like succeedeth with that Heart which is divided into many cares and desires Foolish and noysime lusts drowne men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 And Solomon saith When thou sittest with a Prince observe what is before thee And put a Knife to thy throat if thou beest a man given to appetite Prov. 23.1.2 A Christian sitting at the King of Heavens Table is the hearing of his Word this is that board to which wisedome inviteth us where the Bread of wholesome Doctrine is set before us which strengthneth our hearts and the wine of Grace which cheereth and comforteth our Soules at which Table whosoever shall come to sit must consider with attention that which is set before him casting out of his minde all other worldly things Those Ministers that were employed for the apprehending of our Saviour
crying for the abominations weeping and mourning for the wickednesse that is committed there you shall find a publick Notary sent to take the list of mourners their sorrow is their safety their lamentation the cause of their preservation for for our comforts mercy hath her lodgings taken up in every Town in every City in every Country be Gods judgements never so great mercy cannot mercy will not be excluded the Saints are alwayes priviledged men they have speciall in munities an Arke a Goshen a Zoar a City of Refuge shall be ever prepared Mat. 5. to the 12. The meek the mercifull the Peace-maker the persecuted the poor in spirit the pure in heart and those that hunger annd thirst for righteousnesse all these shall be blessed and not onely these but mourners shall have a part Psal 125.5 The godly may sow in tears but shall reape in joy thousands shall fall before them and ten thousands at their right hand but the plague shall not come nigh them Our English Sion while those unhappy differences and wofull divisions continued amongst us was like Ierusalem the very map of misery the Sword devoured the people perished our sons butcherd our young men slain our Goods plunderd our Lands sequestred and our bodies Catived our plagues then grew mighty because our sins were waxen many the most committing them few mourning for them and it is still to be feared though we have thus sinned and have thus been punished that there was never more sinning nor never lesse remorse for sin and if againe the Lord should still be incensed and up in arms against us what strength were there in us who are but stubble to stand before such a consuming Fire And therefore to prevent Gods further revenge and threatned punishments since you have seen in Ezekiel that tears are the preservatives of the living for not a sigh is sent out but is heard in Heaven not a teare but is kept nor a groane but it coms before God let us sigh and cry for all the abominations of the times let us weep for the sins of the Nation let us lament for out sins the cause of all our sufferings and wee let sorrow now cloath us and mourning cloud us let our Foreheads be marked with a down-right solemne mourning the Assembly called must be solemne Call a solemne Assembly The word solemne which is as much as serious sad and heavy me thinks may well contain furniture for the times of mourning and having never more cause I wish I might robe you with the garment of heavinesse The Text Proclaims a solemne assembly and wills you to mourn for the sins of the Land the word solemn me thinks wills us all to lay aside our wanton superfluous and supercilious sales of Pride and put on sables mourning habiliments I mean heavy sad and solemn countenances outwardly to testifie our sorrow inwardly because the Lord hath turn'd his favours into frowns He that formerly cloathed us with Beauty did again cloath us with Leprosie He that formerly cloathed us with Health and Happinesse did again in stead of a Garment give us a Rent and plagued us with the Sword and other deadly poysonous and Infectious Diseases Will you look a little into the rifling of a Wardrobe in Isaiah the Inventory you will find taken in the third chapter from the 18. ver to the end of the 23. The bravery of their ornaments and chains and bracelets and mufflers and bonnets and tablets and eare-rings and rings and ornaments of the legs and changeable sults of apparell and mantles and wimples and crisping pins and glasses and boods c. But the destruction of all this Foeminine Furniture you shall find in the next verses from the 24. to the end It shall come to passe that in stead of a sweet smell there shall be a stinke in stead of a girdle a rent in stead of well set haire baldnesse and in stead of a stomacher a girding with sackcloth and burning in stead of beauty The gates shall lament and mourne The story sheweth what our state was God grant we have not cause again to say is for so we sinned so we were plagued and me thinks should be sufficient to stir up all the powers and passions of sorrow in every one of us this me thinks should be sufficient to set open those ciâ—terns of our souls that rivers of tears may flow from our heart-breaking yet well-pleasing pensivenesse for the nature of griefe doth utterly exile all objects of pleasure and when true sorrow sits her down in a stupid and a stupendious manner and calls for Heaven above to weep with her the Earth beneath to lament the Rocks to cleave the Mountains to Eccho forth groans and the Rivers to run with tears of griefe the Israelites did not more loath then such sorrow as this doth delight to sit down on the banks of Babylon her Musick is Lachrymae or Doloroso she is as Rachel in her hard labour she no sooner conceives but is delivered and no sooner delivered but conceives againe her throbs and throws almost divide her soule from her selfe but that her solace being in division that which killeth others keepeth her alive emptinesse in the bowels blacknesse on the back round about spectacles of misery all circumstances to make sorrow greater then her selfe Surely our cause was and is great sinne being the cause of our misery Let then our tears be many let us put on the garments of lamentation let mourning be the marke of our Foreheads let our hearts be heavy our bodies faint our looks sad and our countenance solemne and especially upon our Fast dayes or dayes of Humiliation let us all goe mourning to the House of the Lord our God with garments rent and with sackcloth cloathed Let the Bride goe forth of her chamber Let the Priests weep between the Porch and the Altar Nay howle ye poor Firr-trees and let the House of David mourne and let all the Inhabitants of the land mourne and weep and lament and let our lamentation be as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo And let the land bewayle every Family apart Let weeping be in all the ends of our Nation and complaining in the streess of every City Towne and Country crying in the chambers of every house Woe and alas Woe unto us that we have sinned Nay let all the Orders and Companies of every severall holy convocation throughout this Land of England from the Ruler to the Subject from the Priest to the People from the Honourable Councellour to him that draweth Water from the Men of gray years to the yong Child and Suckling all plentifully water their Cheeks with Tears Let sighs be their ordinary Language to our offended God and cry unto the Lord to spare us from the Sword c. Our occasion is just our cause is good for our sins are great and our God is incensed and therefore solemnity expects it Call a solemne Assembly Obj.
how could we goe unto him by the Foot of Prayer if we did not beleeve in him Rom. 10. â—â— For how shall they call on him in whom they have not belceved The second Foot is Prayer which is so swift a Foot as that it dispatcheth in an instant all the way betwixt Heaven and Earth and as a fiery Chariot mounts into the presence of the Almighty to implore his assistance and though we live here in this vale of misery so farre off from our Fathers House yet being furnished with these two spirituall Feet we may in a moment ascend up thither and there recreate our wearied spirits though we live in this world as in a wast desart if we be in want of any thing with these spirituall Fees we may runne to our Fathers House and there provide our selves If the Lord hath east us down upon our bed of sicknesse that we cannot use the Feet of our bodies yet he hath given us those other Feet of Faith and Prayer to use in flead of them Hezekiah being sick of the Plague 1 Kings 20.2 could not use the Feet of his Body but with the Feet of the Spirit he went unto this place Ionah was lockt up in Prison in the belly of the Whale yet by the vertue of these Feet out of the depth he ascended to the holy Temple of Iehovah But notwithstanding all this though we know we have a House to goe unto and no hinderance in the way nor difficulty in the passage nor want a guide to direct us and have good right to the place and friends and acquaintance to entertaine us and robes to adorne us and feet to carry us thither yet if we know not how to behave our selves when we come there though we come as suiters we shall be but bad speeders And therefore the next shall be to teach you how to demeanc your selves in this House of the Lord your God And for this purpose I shall for your sakes endeavour my selfe to binde you all to such good behaviour in Gods House as becomes the glory of his publick service and presence for the godly Christian ought with all care to lay before him the rules that tye him to a comely composure and carryage in the House of God and to strive to fashion his nature and practice so as may become the Majesty of his Publick Worship for there be divers things which in a speciall manner must be lookt unto in performing these publick duties And to this end I shall give you some few Rules which if you please to observe you shall not onely be good Suiters but good Speeders also First All of all sorts must come and appear publikely before the Lord to doe him homage and service Viâ— unita fortior the more the better not onely the Elders but all the Iuhabitants of the Land This you may see in Deutoronomy 31.11.12.13 where you shall find That all Israel were to come to appeare before the Lord their God in the place which he should chuse men women and children and the stranger within their gates that they might heare and learne and feare the Lord their God and keep and observe the words of his Law none exempted all must come Secondly We must come with all possible reverence and look to our feet when we enter into the House of God and strive to shew before all men our most carefull respect to God his holy Ordinances for God will be sanctified by them that come neer him and he looks for it at our hands by our reverent behaviour to be glorified before all the people See it your selves in the tenth of Leviticus and the third And Ecclesiastes the fifth and first and be perswaded to shew a most holy and reverent feare of Gods name and presence So that Princely Prophet I will come into thine House in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy feare will I worship towards thy holy temple Psal 5.7 Thirdly We must come with a great deale of Zeale In all publick duties that of David should be true of us The Zeale of Gods House should eat us up Psal 69.9 And this singular Zeale we should shew these six wayes 1. By loving Gods House above all other places in the world our heart should be fired in us in that respect that we may truely say with the Psalmist Psal 26.8 O how I love thy house I have loved the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour-dwelleth 2. By resolutely purposing to resort to Gods House with joy and gladnesse notwithstanding the scornes and oppositions of worldly men O that we were of Davids mind glad when men say Come let us goe into the House of the Lord Psal 122.1 3. By stirring up others with all importunity to goe with us to worship God in Sion The mountaine of the House of the Lord shall be prepared in the top of the mountaines and shall be exalted above the hils and all Nations shall flow unto it the word flow declaring the zeale of the Children of God when they are called And many people shall goe and say Come let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the House of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his wayes and we will walke in his paths for the Law shall goe forth of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isay 2.2.3 4. By making hast to Gods worship going to the House of the Lord with the first and with willing hearts with an holy thirst after the means flocking and flying thither as the Cloudes or as so many Doves to their Windows Up let us goe and pray before the Lord and seek the Lord of Hosts Zachar. 8.21 And the Psalmist Thy people shall come willingly at the time of assembling thine army in holy beauty from the wombe of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth Psal 110.3 5. By forwardnesse and cheerefulnesse in contributing towards the maintenance of Gods House and service in the means thereof 6. By grieving heartily because other men neglect and contemne the House of God The Zeale of Gods Children ought to be such when they see his Word sleighted as that they should be like David whose Eyes gusht out with Rivers of Water because men keep not thy Law Psal 119.136 Fourthly We should in all publick Duties serve God with one consent and one heart There should appeare in Gods servants a wonderfull desire of unanimity and concord that when they speake to God it may be as the voyce of one man when the Lord speaks to them they should heare with one Eare It is a marvellous glory in Religion when people can come to this to serve the Lord with one shoulder Let us all call upon the name of the Lord Zeph. 3.9 and serve him with one consent or as it were with one shoulder Fiftly and lastly look upon the fifty second Psalme eighth and ninth verses and from thence we
God for mercy may not yet enter into his Eates For this reason Let us cry unto the Lord. And as we must thus imitate their behaviour in misery so the next is their Remedy which likewise muâ—â— be ours They cast their burthen upon the Lord knowing full well that he was able to help them being the Lord and as willing as able because their God In treating of which the utmost of my intent shall be to divide such shares of sorrow among you as that your very soules may be even cut asunder wâ—thin you being indeed your onely remedy in trouble and the onely way to appease your angry God for the broken and contrite heart he will not dispise And therefore let us sigh and weep and cry unto the Lord. As the cause of this Peoples misery was Famine so their case in regard of any Earthly succour that could be expected was helplesse and remedilesse For the Heavens were become as Brasse and the Earth as Iron unto them the Lord their God who comprehends all in his Fist had withheld from them the bottles of Heaven and stopped the spouts of Raine now being ready to dye with hunger they mingle their Bread with weeping seeking to relieve themselves by tears and groans And cry unto the Lord. Hence the Point is this Obs That godly sorrow and holy affliction is the best remedy in any sorrow and affliction whether it be from Men from Sathan or from God himselfe whether it be in Body Estate Name Mind or soule of a Man whether it be on particular Persons or on our Selves or on our Friends or those that are about us or on the whole Land as on Church or Common wealth This is the most soveraigne Remedy in all distresse and extremity whatsoever this inward godly griefe is a salve for every sore and a playster for every wound To Weep and Cry and poure out our Hearts before God is the course that this people here took and that which we must take in the like or any other ealamity and according to the measure of the affliction and as it is more publick or private so must be the measure of our lamentation To this there is a promise made in Isaiah Isa 61.1.2.3 That when our Hands cannot help our selves nor our Tongues prevaile with others yet then we may relieve our selves by our Prayers unto God for in that place the Lord undertaketh that Mourners shall be comforted And there is great cause why God should so deale with such kind of Persons For first He is full of pitty and compassion and therefore the Prophet Joel bids us Joel 2.13 Rent our Hearts and not our Garments that is bring inward sorrow that may crush and breake the Heart and then turne unto the Lord which if we doe we shall be sure of reliefe because the Lord is mercifull saith he and our God is ready to forgive When we see our Children weeping mourning and consessing their faults we cannot but have our bowels of compassion carning towards them what shall we then thinke of God He is our Father we are his Children and be is farre more mercifull then we can be for he hath no other bowels then the bowels of compassion and therefore when we Mourne in an holy manner certainly he will arise and have mercy upon us he cannot slay when he sees our Eyes full of Teares and our Hearts full of sorrow for the sighs and groanes of his people will not let him have rest in Heaven Secondly This godly mourning must needs be a speciall remedy in all manner of afflictions because it makes our Prayers very forcible it sets an edge upon our Petitions and makes us pray heartily servently and strongly When Jacob wept in his Prayer Hos 12 4. it was so effectuall that he prevayled When Gods people joyned together to poure forth buckets full of Teares drawne from the bottome of their Hearts before the Lord 1 Sam 7.6 they were marvellously helped for the great measure of their Teares made their supplication more servent And therefore when our Saviour was about the principall point of his Mediatorship then did he gather strength unto himselfe by this means He did offer up Prayers with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death Heb. 5.7 Thirdly This godly sorrow must needs be very effectuall because it is exceeding forcible against sin for when sorrow comes into the Heart sin goes out it will not lodge there unlesse it be cockered and much made of When every one laments his iniquity and mourns over Christ Jesus whom by his sinnes he hath pierced then there is a Fountaine opened to wash us all from our sins that have made a wicked separation betwixt us and our God And seeing then that this godly sorrow is a means to make God pitty us and to make us call earnestly upon him and to expell sin which might hinder us from prevayling with him it must needs follow That of all remedies in time of distresse this is the best and surest Since sorrow is our onely safery and the best and surest remedy in distresse Let us a little reflect upon our selves and miseries and apply this soveraigne Balme to all our wounds There are many afflictions abroad at Sea Ships taken Merchants spoyled goods seized Marriners imprisoned many at home in our Townes nay in our owne Families as losses erosses sicknesses diseases parting with friends discontents nay there are many things amisse in our owne Hearts and here is medicine for every one of our maladies Let us then get it and use it and all arguments and helps that may continue and increase it Thus the Ninevites when Jonah threatned distruction against their City within forty dayes they humbled and abased themselves and fell to mourning and used Fasting to help it forward and to further them to this remorse and griefe for their great and hainous transgressions they had grieved the Lord by their iniquities and therefore now they would grieve themselves with contrition for them and neglect no means to further them in the worke of humiliation Jonah 3.5 6 7 8. They Proclaime a Fast they put on Sackcloth from the greatest to the least they neither eat nor drinke they cry mightily unto God and every man turnes from his evill way and from the wickednesse that is in their hands And when God saw that they turned from their evill wayes than God repented of the evill that he said he would doe unto them and he did it not And since we of this Nation have seen and felt affliction and justly may feare danger to be neer us still let us betake our selves to this mourning if we refuse to doe it and shall continue to be hard-hearted suppose the devouring bloud-letting Sword should come againe into our Land suppose the Plague like a loaden spunge should come flying through our Townes and Countries sprinkling poyson wheresoever she comes suppose pale meager