praier and whereas praier is ought to be a daily exercise of euery christian man woman euen as the Iewes had their daily morning and euening sacrifice which were not without praier and as it is saide of Daniell Dan. 6.10 that it was his custome to praie three times euerie day Yea earnest and feruent and continuall praiers in the daies of fasting they haue vsed a speciall and extraordinarie kinde of praier differing from all other that they haue vsed before both in zeale and strength of praier and also in continuance Therefore we in the daies of our fastings also should be more zealous feruent in praier and also longer and more continuall then at other times as then we haue alwaies some speciall cause to mooue vs vnto it and the outward abstinence also should further vs thereunto And this we read to haue beene the practise of the Niniuites in their publike fast which they kept that then according to that knowledge that they had they did all praie verie earnestly vnto God that he would spare them according to that that the king commanded saying Iona. 3.8 Let man and beast put on sackcloth and crie mightily vnto God that is praie earnestly vnto him for mercie as Dauid vseth the like phrase in the same sense Psal 130.1 Out of the deepe places haue I called or cried out vnto thee O Lord. And this feruencie of praier the prophet Esay Esay 58 4. required of the Iewes in their fastes when hee saith Behold yee fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse yee shall not fast as yee doe to daie to make your voice to be heard aboue this latter part of the verse others doe read thus whose interpretation and iudgement heere I follow You doe not fast that you might lift vp your voice on high that is to God in feruent praier which is one speciall cause of fasting and therefore it is called a day of reconciliation Lâ—u 23.27 because that then the priest by earnest praier did seeke to reconcile the people vnto God But to returne to the prophet Esay he finding fault with them that they did not fast to a right end namely to humble themselues and conuicting them plainly of the want of humilitie and repentance because there was strife and debate and contention among them which ought not to haue beene neither could haue beene if in the sight of their sinnes they had beene rightly humbled to seeke vnto God for mercy saith farther that they did not fast as those times did require to lift vp their voices earnestlie to God in praier they did chide and were earnest and aloud one with another but they were not earnest and aloud in praier vnto God as they should haue beene therefore whereas it is translated Yee shall not fast as you do to daie to make your voice to be heard aboue referring this lifting vp of the voice vnto loud words in contention as for the most part men will then be heard others doe read it as wee haue heard you doe not or you will not fast that your voice might be heard aboue referring it to the lifting vp of the voice to God in praier and in more then ordinarie praier noted by the lifting vp of their voice as was said before that the Niniuites did not speake onely but crie out and that mightily or with all their strength vnto God Therefore in â—he daies of â—asting we â—ust inforce â—ur selues to â—eruent and 〈…〉 So that to fasting must bee ioined a most earnest kinde of praier as the time shall then require and as men must not praie coldly and from the teeth outward as we say at anie time so then especially they must not bee wearie but consider well what great necessitie there is of praier both in respect of their sinnes and of the punishment of them and so inforce themselues to an earnest kinde of long praier as if a man were fallen into a deepe pit or well he would crie out aloud and long with all his strength euen vntill he were hoarse or had lost his voice that so he might be heard and holpen and would not fauour himselfe in such a case Thus it appeareth that when Ezra and the rest that feared God with him fasted because of the transgression of them of the captiuitie that hee praied verie earnestly and long as wee may gather both from his behauiour and from the wordes that hee then vsed which were full of great affection Ezra 9.4 for it is written of him that he sate downe astonied vntill the euening sacrifice and after the euening sacrifice he arose vp from his heauinesse and when he had rent his clothes his garments he fell vpon his knees and spread out his handes vnto the Lord God and saide O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eies vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our head and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauen and so foorth as it followeth in that praier of his full of all humilitie and zeale The like may be said of the prophet Daniel who in the end of the seauentie yeeres of their captiuitie vnderstanding by bookes as he saith of himselfe and namely by reading the Prophecie of Ieremie that the number of yeeres which the Lord would accomplish for the destruction of Ierusalem were now almost expired and turned his face vnto the Lord Dan. 9.3 by praier and supplications with fasting and sackcloth ashes and then how zealously feruently he praied as it appeereth in the whole praier in which he often breaks out into many passionate exclamatioÌ„s so especially by the often doubling of the same petitions which was no vaine babling in him ful of words without any great matter but did arise of the abundance of his earnest desire and great feeling that he had of that which he praied for as when he saith Dan. 9.15 O our God heare the praier of thy seruant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon thy Sanctuarie that lieth waste for the Lords sake O my God incline thine eare and heare open thine eies and behold our desolations and the citie whereupon thy name is called for we doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy tender mercies O Lorde heare O Lord forgiue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thine owne sake O my God for thy name is called vpon thy citie and vpon thy people Thus both of them praied verie feruently and with great zeale which argued that they had great hope of obtaining their suites otherwise they would soone giuen them ouer and not haue beene so importunate For it is most certaine that according to the hope that we haue of obtaining any thing at the handes of God or man so are our desires and requestes vnto them more earnest or more cold therfore when
beyond the bounds of modestie and good maners so if we could aswell see and feele this great miserie that we and our brethren are in it would make vs to be so importunate with the Lord in our prayers that we would haue no nay at his handes but still stand knocking at the gate of his mercie vntill hee hath opened and sent vs away with a gratious answer as Dauid in the one fifty Psalme pressed downe with the heauie burden of his sinnes did crie vnto God againe and againe for mercie and would not haue his mouth stopped vntill the Lord had mercie vpon him saying Haue mercie upon me O God Psa 51.1.2 according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy coÌ„passions put away mine iniquitiâ—â— wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and clense me from my sin purge me with Hysope washe me make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse and so foorth as followeth where euerie verse almost containeth a seueral petition earnestly crauing mercie of God for his sinnes yea as blinde Bartimaeus cried after Christ in the waie Mar. 10.46 Iesus the sonne of Dauid haue mercie on me and manie rebuked him because he should hold his peace but he cried much more O sonne of Dauid haue mercy on me and would neuer leaue calling and crying vntill Christ stoode still and commanded him to be called so we in this case should neuer leaue calling vpon God vntill by diminishing of the plague we might see some token of his mercie Nay we should be like to the woman of Syrophenisse who came suing to Christ for her daughter Math. 15.21 and saide Haue mercie on me O Lord the soone of Dauid and he by his silence seemed not to regard her and when his Disciples did speake to him for her he answered them as though she were not to be regarded saying I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel when shee came neerer her-selfe and saide Lord helpe me then he seemed cleane to cast her off and to leaue her without all hope â—4 01 〈◊〉 in saying It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it to whelpes yet for al this she would not giue ouer her need was so great but desired as a whelpe to eate of the crummes And by earnest suite we shall finde â— supplie in time that fell from her masters table and so Christ heard her at the last and said vnto her O woman great is thy faith be it to thee as thou desirest and her daughter was made whole at that houre Euen so our selues though we may seeme all this while to haue praied in vaine and to haue lost our labour and the Lorde God not to regard vs because the plague is not one whit lessened but rather increased yet because our need is so great let vs not giue ouer but in all feruencie of praier hold out and waite vpon God and how Psal 123. â— Euen as the eies of seruants looke vnto the hand of their maisters and as the eies of a maiden vnto the hand of her mistresse so let our eies waite vpon the Lord our God vntill he haue mercie vpon vs. And let euerie one saie Psal 130.5 I haue waited on the Lorde my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in his worde my soule waiteth on the Lord more then the morning watch watcheth for the morning and so let vs incourage all Israel euen the people of God to waite vpon him for with him is mercy with him is great redemption and he wil redeeme them from al their iniquities that is as he hath manie waies and meanes to deliuer those that be his so he will vpon their repentance forgiue them all their sinnes and much more deliuer from the deserued punishment of the same â—he consciâ—ce of our â—woorthiâ—sse must â—t hinder â— but raâ—er make 〈◊〉 more ferâ—ut in praiâ— Moreouer that wee might praie so earnestly as we should let vs further consider our great vnwoorthinesse by reason of our innumerable sinnes that when wee shall see that whether wee looke to our selues or to other there is no cause that the Lord should heare and helpe vs for wee haue not done our dutie as we ought wee haue not profited by his worde and great patience nay wee haue by the abuse of them and by other of our sinnes prouoked his wrath against vs and haue deserued that this deadly plague shuld continew and make an end of vs all we may be importunate with him to spare vs that so though not for anie thing that is in vs of his great mercie for Christes sake by opportunitie hee may be ouercome as wee haue seene by the parable of the wicked Iudge how he will be and as we haue seene how Iacob would not giue ouer wrestling vntill he had blessed him at the last obtained the blessing So the Lord seeing that we are not wearie of calling vpon him though he finde vs vnwoorthie might heare and helpe vs. And so let not the conscience of our vnwoorthinesse stoppe our mouthes hinder our praiers but rather mooue vs to be the more earnest confessing the same as Ezra Ezra 9.6 doth I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eies vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our head and our trespasse is growen vp vnto the heauen and as Daniel Dan. 9.8 doth O Lord vnto vs appertaineth open shame to our kings to our princes and to our fathers because we haue sinned against thee yet compassion and forgiuenesse is in the Lord our God albeit we haue rebelled against him and so may we truely say of our selues and of our land and countrey wherein we liue And lastly for this present let vs consider that as in no other thing so in this most of all none can helpe vs but the Lord â—nd the conâ—eration of â—is that â—e can â—lpe vs but 〈◊〉 Lord. there are meanes appointed for euery thing but vnlesse hee giue them we can not haue them and then also the right vse and successe of them is of the Lord so that he can not onely denie them vnto vs but curse them when we haue them that they shall do vs no good so that we may truly saie My helpe commeth from the Lorde 〈◊〉 121.2 who hath made both heauen earth therefore we had need to praie to him so much the more earnestly for the trusting to this and that hindereth our praier But the time cutteth mee off from this and so I leaue it to be supplied by the spirit of God which is able to giue you vnderstanding in all things HOMIL V. The fifth Homilie doth further intreat of feruencie of praier requisite in fasting and to the end we may consider what great things God hath promised to fasting and praier and how he hath performed the same not onely to the godly but euen to the wicked who haue thereby
he had said hee would doe vnto them and did it not Thus we see againe what was the effect of this fast which they held in great ignorance no doubt and much weakenesse yet in truth namely that the Lord seeing them sufficiently humbled by the ministerie of his Prophets in the guiltinesse of their sinne and the deserued destruction threatned against them euerie one to forsake their euill waies for which he was iustly offended with them he staied that plague which he had threatned and had otherwise most certainly brought vpon them And this also may greatly confirme our hope in this seruice of ours that thogh for our sinnes we must needs confesse that wee haue deserued not onely this beginning and continuance of the pestilence but vtter destruction yet if euerie man would so wholly leaue his euill waies that the Lord who is the searcher of the heart and reines might see it and take knowledge of it and of that repentance and amendement of life that should be in all and so then they would crie mightily vnto God as these did he would yet repent him of the euill which he hath otherwise further determined to bring vpon vs and not do it but might stay this grieuous plague from spreading like a canker and from further comming into those places where yet it is not and in those places that are infected with it he might so diminish it from day to daie that it cause not a finall destruction as was threatned to the Niniuites and we haue iustly deserued Therefore to conclude this one point By this expâ—riâ—nce in othâ—rs wee must be confirmed in hope of God goodnesse to ouâ— selues aâ— this time that we might haue courage and comfort in this that wee doe by a sure and certaine expectation of some blessed fruit of it in time we haue hitherto seene how the Lord of his great mercy and trueth hath neuer failed them that in fasting and prayer according to his owne ordinance haue sought vnto him in trueth Heb. 12.1 that we hauing so great a cloud of witnesses as the Apostle speaketh to subscribe vnto this doctrine by their owne experience might not doubt but that the Lord in due time wil hear vs as he hath done them Yea if we can remember but our owne experience and that that our selues haue made triall of through the goodnesse of God how in former times he hath heard vs Much more your owne â—â—perience 〈◊〉 times â—â—st when we haue by fasting and prayer thus publikelie sought vnto him as when the Inuincible falsely so called Spanish Nauie was vpon our coasts how wonderfully vpon our earnest sute and supplications euery where made to that end not onely wee were preserued from that horrible destruction which they most wickedly intended against vs but that themselues were drowned in the sea euen the horse and him that rode vpon him â—od 15.1 as the Aegyptians were when they came against the Israelites And truly we may remember what a sudden and great feare all men for the most part were then stricken with and not without cause and so how earnestly they did seeke vnto God when as there was in all places much fasting and prayer and the people came willingly to it if we could do so now when the Lord threatneth destruction to vs and to all places as he did then though after another maner wee might by our owne experience comfortablie lift vp our heads and looke with good assurance for the like mercy that we found for God is the same if we be not changed when as by former experience like as Dauid said when he went against Goliath to fight with him whose great stature and complet armour of brasse and weapons might iustly haue terrified him The Lord that deliuered me out of the paw of the Lion 1. Sam. 17.37 and out of the paw of the Beare he will deliuer mee out of the hand of this Philistim so we might all say The same God of mercy that hath heeretofore heard vs when we haue in true humilitie sought vnto him wee doubt not when wee haue sufficiently profited by this affliction will now heare vs also and deliuer vs. For indeed if we finde both in the Scripture and by dayly experience in our selues and in other The ordinaâ—y prayâ—rs â—f the faithâ—ull haue obâ—ained great â—hings much more their â—astings and â—rayer that the ordinarie prayers of Gods seruants and namely of our selues are not sent away emptie but that the Lord doth dayly according to the same blesse vs and them then these prayers which wee now make with fasting which are more than ordinary we may be assured shall bring great blessings vpon vs. When at the commandement of Herod â—ct 12.5 Peter was kept in prison earnest prayer was made of the Church vnto God for him and when Herod would haue brought him out vnto the people the same night slept Peter betweene two souldiers bound with two chains and the keeper before the doore kept the prison and beholde the Angell of the Lord came vpon them and a light shined in the house and he smote Peter on the side and raised him vp saying Arise quickly and his chaines fell from his hands and so he was deliuered If then the ordinarie prayer of the Church be of so great force and doe so greatly preuaile with the Lord as to frustrate the counsels of great Tyrants to procure the helpe presence of Angels from heauen to open the prison doores and to vnloosen fetters and chaines of iron then what shâ—ll the extraordinarie prayers of the Church euen their fastings and prayers do Therefore we need not doubt but if we coÌ„tinue to profit in humility by this fatherly visitation of the Lord and in repentance for all our sinnes and in continuance and feruencie of praier but we shall see some great fruit of them at the last euen in that verie thing that we most of all desire And that wee might yet be further comforted in this great heauinesse of ours with hope of some mercie from God euen that he would spare vs at the last according to our earnest desire let vs remember how when King Ahab a wicked and verie vngodlie man fasted for that destruction which the prophet Elijah had by the worde of the Lord threatned against him 1. King 21.21 euen that the Lord would bring euill vpon him and take away al his posteritie make his house desolate like the house of Ieroboam what great mercie he obtained of the Lord Which fast of his The Lord hath rewarded the wicked that haue vsed this ordinance but in â—utward ceremonies though it was not ioined with true repentance or any true knowledge how to serue the Lord aright neither could be for he was an idolatour yet being performed in some sort onely in keeping the outward ceremonie as putting on sackecloth and abstaining from meat and drinke and giuing some other outward token
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
they praied thus importunately it appeareth that in this great humilitie of theirs And by importunitie of praier the Lord will be ouercome declared by their fasting and maner of it they had great hope of obtaining their requests of God vnto whom they did sue And thus must we doe in the day of our fasting I saie we must labour for that measure of faith in gods goodnesse through the blessed merits of Christ our Sauiour that might mooue vs to pray earnestly and as it were to crie mightily vnto God for the remouing nowe at the last of this grieuous plague that though wee haue iustlie deserued it and a great deale more yet for the Lords sake it would please him vpon our true repentance and earnest seeking vnto him for mercie to turne it away Which if wee doe then he vndoubtedly will heare vs in his good time as hee hath witnessed vnto vs in the Gospell by the Parables both of the wicked Iudge Luk. 18.2 who by the importunity of the widow was ouercome at the last to doe her right and this was propounded as Christ himselfe faith to this end to teach men to pray often and not to waxe faint whereupon he inferreth this generall doctrine vers 6.7 Heare what the vnrighteous Iudge saith and shall not God auenge his elect which crie daie and night vnto him though hee suffered long for them So God will heare those that crie daie and night that is that praie earnestly and continuallie And againe in the other parable of the man that came to his friend at midnight to borrow three loues Luk. 11.5 who though he was vnwilling at the first yet because of his importunitie did arise gaue him as many as he would whereupon hee maketh this generall promise to al those that shal thus seeke vnto God that is earnestly and without ceasing that he will heare them saying Aske and it shal be giuen you seeke and yee shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you for euerie one that asketh receaueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened that is if yee seeke and aske after this maner So by these examples wee may be assured that God will heare vs for this thing if we pray vnto him eatnestly without ceasing though we haue hitherto seene little successe of our praiers for the plague is not only not taken away but is greatly increased euery where He often deferreth to giue that we might bee quickened vp to feruencie of prayer And truely the Lord doeth manie times deferre of purpose to grant that which we aske and which also he hath promised and is purposed to giue that we might be mooued in the feeling of our want to pray earnestly for it and that the want of it for a time might quicken vp our dead hearts and dull spirits vnto greater feruencie of prayer that also when we shall see that we haue such things giuen vnto vs and that wee haue obtained them by our prayer yea by long and earnest prayer wee might make the more account of them and esteeme them as we ought and also be so much the more thankefull vnto God for the same For the Lord indeed hath of his great mercie promised that if we call vpon him he will heare vs as we haue learned euen now out of the Gospell of S. Luke and may further learne out of many other places of Scripture besides as Psal 50.15 Call vpon me in the time of thy trouble and I will heare thee and deliuer thee and many other but he hath set downe no time when we shall see and perceiue that hee hath heard vs sauing that it is sayd I will heare thee in due time Psal 10.1 euen in affliction Nowe which is the most conuenient time for God to help vs in Act. 1.7 that we must not prescribe vnto him neither is it alwayes meet for vs to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power therefore as they be best knowen to his heauenly Maiestie so wee must leaue the declaration of them to him alone not doubting but that he will heare vs in due time euen in affliction Hee doth deferre many times of purpose for good causes both that wee might be stirred vp thereby to pray to him earnestly and continually not doubting one whit of the trueth of his promises and that when we haue our requests granted we might esteeme of so great a benefit and be thankefull to him for the same For assuredly if wee did alwayes finde that the Lord did giue vs euery thing at the first asking though wee graunt that hee giueth vs continually more than we aske such is our vnthankefulnesse that both wee would come vnto him very coldly and pray drowsilie for wee would make it but an ordinarie matter Therefore if we continue in feruent prayer the Lord will heare vs at the last Aske haue and also wee would not so highlie esteeme of the things giuen vnto vs nor labor to be so thankfull to him for the same as our bounde duty did require Therfore concerning all other things and namely this present visitation of the Plague the more that the Lord deferreth to take it away the more earnest let vs be in prayer and let not the delay of it quench the heat of our desire one whit but kindle it more and more and I do assure you in the word of the Lord that if we faint not in praier but lift vp our hearts and hands still vnto the Throne of his Mercy that he will in time heare vs and shew mercie vnto vs and that he will not onely do so but he will make it manifest and apparant vnto the very soules and consciences of vs all This therefore is another most excellent vse and end of fasting The outward abstinence must quicken vs vp vnto feruencie of praâ— euen to quicken vs vp vnto greater feruency in prayer for as we finde by experience when our bellies are full and we are in the abundance of all pleasures and outward blessings wee are not so fit for prayer and therefore a sober diet and a moderate vse of all other of Gods creatures and benefits will alwayes make vs the more fit for prayer but when the bodie is pinched with hunger and the want of other necessarie helpes meet for it the feeling of our want shall be a meanes to set a sharper edge vpon our prayers to make them more piercing and as it were to giue a wing vnto them to flie aloft aboue the clouds euen to make them enter into heauen and to come before the throne of God We ought then in these daies of abstinence thus to profit by the feeling of the want of our bodies so to iudge our selues vnwoorthy not onely of all that which wee abstaine from but of all other things besides yea of life it selfe that we thereby be mooued