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A17044
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Concerning publike-prayer, and the fasts of the Church Six sermons, or tractates. By Io. Br. B.D. Their severall contents are set downe in the next page.
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Browning, John, d. 1648.
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1636
(1636)
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STC 3919; ESTC S105933
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161,719
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248
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up our SAVIOURS answere We have piped to them Matth. 11.17 and they have not danced We have mourned to them and they have not wept Neither will the Churches joy downe with them in her publike feasts nor her sorrow in her solemne fasts Wee may well take up the Proverb They are no wayes content either full or fasting Let such men take heed lest already they have pertaken too much of the Leaven of the Pharisees who so little pertake with the Spouse either in her Ioy or Sorrow But observe I pray you the Pharisees policy For having been often by themselves apart convinced and confounded altogether by our SAVIOUR they now deale more subtilly They draw the Disciples of the Baptist into their party For so it appeareth Matth. 9.15 Matth. 9.15 Like as many now a dayes doe who the better to colour their owne hypocrisie and to encrease their faction abuse the honest simplicity of well affected men For their sakes our SAVIOUR frameth an Answer consisting of two Reasons 1 The first drawne from the words of the Baptist Iohn 3.29 Iohn 3.29 Hee saith the Baptist that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome but the friend of the Bridgroome which standeth and heareth Him rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegromes voyce This my joy therefore is fulfilled As if he should thus argue By your masters confession I am the Bridegroome if therefore the freind of the Bridegroome have such joy at the meere voice of the Bridegroome how shall they which are of His Chamber mourne c 2 The second from a twofold comparison of old bottles and new wine of an old garment and new cloth shewing them that as it was unfitting in their present state of joy for them then to mourne So was it also for the non-age and infancy of the Church to burthen them with those severer parts of Discipline Fasting and Penance c. No man saith our SAVIOUR putteth new wine Vers 22. Marke Ver. 37. Luke c. No man putteth a piece of new cloth on an old garment else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old and the rent is made worse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Schisme is made worse Witnesse our owne unhappy times wherein the Papists and the Church of Rome on the one side as also some over forward men of our owne on the other side having patched up a world of new inventions to the ancient customes and Tenets of the first Church have thus made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rent the greater the Schisme the worse having on all hands causlesly rent the seamelesse Garment of CHRIST this Glorious Bridegroome This Church of England hath not done so as she pretended so she intended and truly performed above all others a Reformation Which is as they define it a Restitution and returning of every thing to their former and first estate To the first estate praised be GOD she hath reformed herselfe and as in all other things so in this and all other Fasts she hath followed the footsteps of the first and best Christians of CHRISTS Apostles nay of CHRIST Himselfe who hath thus commanded that When the Bridegroome is taken away that then they should fast in those dayes and Thus much for the Context For the Text These words containe two principall parts 1 First A Prophecy The Division that the Bridegroome shall be taken away 2 Secondly A Precept that when the Bridegrome is taken away that then they shall fast in those dayes Where farther observe in this latter part the Precept two things the 1 First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they shall fast 2 The Second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When they must fast 1. Then and 2. In those dayes The former is Ratio the Reason and ground of all our Fasts Because the Bridegroome is taken away The latter is Regula the Rule and manner of our fast Then and in those dayes We for the plainest capacity will observe these five Propositions 5 Propositions First That CHRIST IESUS is the Bridegroome of His Spouse the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to that of Iohn the 3.29 He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome Secondly That This Bridegroome must bee taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly That Because of this taking away They that is The Church must and shall fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fourthly That Then they shall fast at that time When the Bridegroome was taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fifthly More particularly That Then in Those very dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proposition I FOr the first That our SAVIOUR is the Bridegroome of His Spouse the Church no man that knoweth himselfe to be a Christian can bee ignorant Our nature both Soule and Body the common nature of all mankinde was marryed to CHRIST IESUS both GOD and man that as before by the Creation Heaven and Earth were marryed in man thence called by Lactantius and the ancients Societas Caeli Terrae now againe there might be a nearer and a straiter tye by the Redemption GOD in CHRIST marrying Himselfe to man That as in Adam all dyed So in CHRIST all should be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 1 Cor. 15.22 That as Rom. 5. Rom. 5.18 by the offence of one man judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift might come upon all men to justification of life And as marriages though consummate on Earth are said to bee made in heaven Sure wee are this above all others was concluded and made in Heaven even by the freest good will of GOD the Father Who so loved the World that He gave His onely begotten Sonne Iohn 3.16 that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life In this marriage above all others was that fulfilled most fully that the Husband should leave Father and Mother and cleave unto his Wife Gen. 2.24 and they should be one flesh For CHRIST the Bridegroome left his Father in Heaven for being GOD very GOD He emptyed Himselfe Phil. 2.7 and tooke upon Him the forme of a Servant Hee left His Mother in His first miracle Woman Iohn 2.4 what have I to doe with thee And afterward more fully in His a 19.26 Passion and Ascention to b 1 Iohn 2.1 follow His Spouses cause in Heaven And whereas in other marriages it may seeme but in a c Ephes 5.32 mystery that man and wife are made one flesh seeing that notwithstanding this Vnion man and wife are still two persons here in this marriage it was farre otherwise for GOD and man two natures made but one Person Hee became not onely d Ephes 5.30 Bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh but even e Iohn 1.14 The Word was made very flesh and dwelt amongst us Hee became not onely Goel a Surety Kinsman for us but even Emmanuell GOD with us And as
puer domo egreditur qui fune alligatum ad cingulum simulachrum Iudae non ferat c. Vid. Nic. Godign de Abassyn Rebus lib. 1. cap. 22. p. 139. And some Christians there are at this day who at that time will neither buy nor sell nor touch any money for the very same reason Yea they revile Pilate abhorre the Iewes they curse Iudas their very boyes and children hanging his picture at each of their girdles and running in multitudes about the streets doe thus in the picture despitefully dragge him at their heeles damning the cursed memory of that most abhorred Traytor But the truth is Christian religion bids us not to hate the men but their sins not their persons but their most heynous vices And good reason for not they so much as their sinnes their vices were they that betrayed and crucifyed the Lord of light The hypocrisie and covetousnesse of Iudas The obstinacy and stubbornnesse of the Iewes The disobedience and blasphemy of the Pharisees The cruelty and ambition of Pilate and the rest were they that cut off and slew that great Prince the Messiah If therefore we abhor those most cruell murtherers that slew our SAVIOUR we must then hate these vices and if wee hate them truly and aright wee will detest and hate them alike wheresoever in whomsoever we find them even though we finde them in our owne selves hate them here so much the more by how much we love our selves whom they will destroy At least no way spare but punish them and if others for them as indifferent Iudges doe the same in our owne houses prevent it in our owne homes our own consciences with Iob abhorre our own selves and with Daniel by fasting and afflicting our soules make our selves mourne for these and all other sinnes And surely if Daniels fasts bee thus dipt in our Blessed SAVIOURS bloud then are his Prayers no lesse For those were but to sharpen these to make him and us as more sensible of our wants so more hungry and thirsty after the righteousnesse of GOD more unwearyed and earnestly importunate in his Devotions The Body in want of its ordinary food as it lesse clogs or hinders the Divine Soule in her ascent to Heaven so doth the sense of such want in the body make the Soules desire and longing more earnest whilest by the apprehension of her want in the one she reflects upon her nakednesse in the other The true reason why fasting is both so necessary for and so helpfull to all true and earnest Prayer Surely Daniel even ordinarily saith the Text kneeled downe Chap. 6. ver 10. and prayed three times a day that is Psal 55.17 with holy David at Evening Morning and Noone day Now no doubt as his Fasts so his Prayers were doubled yet both Fasts Prayers and Almes and all he now doth all are referred to CHRISTS death and merits Wee saith hee doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse Chap. 9.18 but for thy great mercies Verse 17. Chap. 9.18 And againe Now therefore oh our God heare the prayers of thy servant and cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the LORDS sake Who this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is is plaine by David by Daniel himselfe even by the Iewes and Hebrewes own witnesse No other He then the Son of man Dan. 7.13 To whom was given Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome Chapter 7.13 that all people and nations and languages should serve Him 14. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not passe away and His Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed Thus wee see who this LORD Chap. 9.26 and what manner of Prince the Messiah is Who not slaine for Himselfe but for all others All others that pray to GOD must as Daniel desire to bee heard for His sake onely Though never so strict of life never so holy so just yet Daniel claimes no right by any his owne or others merit No Mediatour but one onely his petition it is to be heard For the Lords sake Thus whilst he mournes for CHRISTS death and his owne sinnes he unloades them all on CHRISTS shoulders and whilest hee beholds Our most Blessed SAVIOURS Crosse he layes more firme hold on His death and all-deserving merits And should not wee doe the same who professe the same Surely the Primitive Fathers whose Sonnes we are or ought to be as they did now double their devotions and more earnestly by their Fasts intend their Prayers so did they as Daniel performe them all in His Name When they Prayed the conclusion of all was Through IESUS CHRIST our LORD even as Daniel here For the LORDS sake When they offered their spirituall Sacrifices of Prayers Praises or Almes they were offered all not onely in His House the Church but more peculiarly at His Altar His Table as in remembrance of His Death and bloud giving them and us all true life and vertue Their Prayers were as referred to His Death and Merits only so all at those very times the times of His very Suffering Thrice each day as Daniel did At nine a clocke their third the entrance of His Suffering At twelve a clocke their sixth the height of His Suffering At three of the clocke their ninth the depth and consummation of His Suffering As it were at every corner of His Crosse at every dimension of height depth or length As Daniel did three times a Day Two of them being at least the ordinary houres of Prayer for all nations our ninth and third as indeed the beginning and end of His most bloudy Passion to shew that Daniel and they did and we all must place the confidence of our Prayers Almes and Fasts yea even all our best actions if any good at all in CHRIST onely For through Him Ephes 2.18 wee and they both have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father To Him therefore with the Father and the Holy Ghost Let us at these and at all times give all honour glory and praise world without end FINIS Perlegi has Conciones in quibus nihil reperio sanae fidei aut bonis moribus contrarium quò minùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimantur Tho. Weekes R. P. Episc Lond. Cap. Domest Errata SER. 1. Pag. 9. lin 19. food reade foot p. 10. l. 20. if not onely r. if not the onely p. 20. l. 4. Neubrigentius r. Neubrigensis p. 20. l. 10. commanded spirits r. damned spirits SER. 2. pag. 44. Bethelohin r. Beth-elohim p. 47. l. ult Father of him r. Father by him p. 48. and Church r. and Churches p. 59. Father of him r. Father by him p. 60. Psal 4. r. Psal 40. SER. 3. pag. 71. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. p. 86. filled by meditation r. fitted by meditation SER. 4. pag. 107. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 109. succeeded them r. succeed them p. 123. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 124. everlasting prayers of r. everlasting praises of p. 129. imploying r. implying p. 134. in marg Bubuli r. Bubulci SER. 5. pag. 170. l. 19. dele under SER. 6. p. 213. in marg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p ibid. in marg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 215. in marg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 226. Fishes also that hath r. Fishes also that have