not to resist as our Lord Christ doth not onely teach heere but layeth vpon it the weight of his authoritie I say vnto you resist not euill or the troublesome body but rather indeuour so much as in you is to ouercome if it may bee his wrath and wrongs by soft answers by your harmelesse meeke and amiable behauiour by good turnes also to the vtteâ—most of your abilitie and if it must needs and may well be done by imploring the protection of the Lawes and higher Powers as the Apostle did when hee b Act. 25. 11 appealed to Caesar but altogether to forbeare irefull and vindicatiue courses to say or doe nothing at all in anger or hot bloud no nor yet in cold bloud by way of requitall that is worst of all c 1. Pet. 2. â—3 committing our selues and cause to him that iudgeth righteously and praying for the transgressors as d Luke 23. 34. this our Master and teacher did when he was put to in the hardest manner that could be whose Disciples we are when wee walke in his steps It is a most glorious thing euen herein to follow the faith and resolution of those three Worthies Dan. 3. 17 18. and to say Our God whom wee serue is able to deliuer vs from these malicious persons and their scuruie dealings and he will deliuer vs but if not be it knowne vnto them and vnto all men that we will not be so base as to bee ouercome of our passions or to breake patience which wee iustly prize aboue all worldly things yea aboue our very liues Though they bring fire wee will bring water though their furie and rage against vs breake out violently as a bullet out of the mouth of a Canon we will set our patience as a wooll-packe or rather as a mount against it Hee e Ver. 39 40 41 explaineth this point by three notable instances or occasions wherein he will haue our righteousnesse shine forth the first is of the grossest contumelie that can bee offered to our persons when in hatred or contempt wee are smitten on the face with the hand or with a rod wherein he will haue vs value our charitie and patience at so high a rate that the greatest indignitie vnder the heauen shall not put vs out of it As it did not himselfe howsoeuer according to Iulian the Apostatas prophane scoffe he did not literally turne the other cheeke when the officer smote him on the face but gaue a milde and cold answer f Ioh. 18. 23. If I haue spoken euill beare witnesse of the euill but of well why smitest thou me iust according to the tenour and purport of this precept hee chose rather to receiue double wrong then to reuenge his owne griefe though hee had twelue legious of Angels at command g Reu. 13. 10. Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints so to doe The second instance is of the hardest exigent that can befall vs in our outward estate which we know is most deare to most people when we are sued at the law euen to the taking away of our coat wherein hee will haue vs to value a peaceable and quiet life among men but especially our freedome and libertie to serue God without hauing our deuotions interrupted at so high a rate as to part with any thing rather then to part with it euen to forgoe our cloake also when the coat is euicted before These are indeed hyperbolicall or ouer-reaching speeches yet doe they plainely demonstrate how farre our righteousnesse should stretch in this and such like cases and how peace which is the bond of charitie as charitie is of perfection should bee prized pursued and redeemed of euery one of vs euen with our greatest losse if wee cannot better cheape h Hebr. 12. 14. Seeke or pursue peace with all men and holinesse The third instance toucheth men in their libertie a thing no lesse deare to them then their liues and liuings to bee compelled by imprest from authority to go a mile a league or more at the officers pleasure as Simon of Cyrene was by prest compelled to beare Christs crosse after him In which he will haue vs value our humilitie loyaltie and pliablenesse to the higher powers though forrainers and aliens from the common-wealth of Israel as the Romanes were at so high a rate as to scotch at no hardship to giue them or their assignes iust content Wee are not onely to performe their commands though grieuous in appearance and that with all cheerefulnesse and alacritie but euen to straine our selues to double their demands if need be and it lye in our power which holdeth in all other matters of like nature to bee so farre from whining and repining at any seruice to our Prince and Countrie at any rates and payments that wee of our owne accord will rather put forth and heighten our selues beyond that which is imposed How commendable were this and what an ornament to the profession of the Gospell To these three instances hee addeth a maruellous cloze i Verse 42. Giue to euery one that asketh and from him that would borrow turne not away not meaning to euery inordinate asker to maintaine idlenesse and excesse but to the truely needie and penurious who through vnauoideable necessitie are brought into streights or if through their owne fault yet now seeming to repent to giue hope of a new course or at least to such as being strangers vnknowne to vs we in the iudgement of charitie take to be poore of the right stampe To euery such asker giue according to thine ablenesse wisely not prodigally that liberalitie be not exhaust or eaten vp of liberalitie In no case let the enmitie of any or impossibilitie of requitall hinder thy good worke but the rather doe all the good thou canst to them exspecting thy reward from heauen by giuing if their needes call for that or by lending if they bee of a better ranke Beware of vaine shifts and excuses pleading thine owne wants when thine owne heart giueth thee the lye and God who is aboue thy heart seeth the contrary or excepting against the persons of the poore meerely to put off a worke of mercy If our Lord Christ had done so to thee where hadst thou beene or shouldst thou now bee Remember euer that this is the Lords commandement that himselfe commeth vnto thee in their cloaths to aske and borrow In the second place hee commeth to the vniuersalitie of Christian righteousnesse and proueth it by restoring to the natiue sence the summe of the second table Thou shalt loue thy neighbour k Vers 43. to 48 purging it from the Pharisaicall drosse first teaching that by the word Neighbour not friends and brethren onely are to be vnderstood but any other man friend enemie or alien who beare the image of God and participate the same nature with vs. In a word hee of whom wee may receiue or to whom wee may doe good
seeme the least and most contemptible of all other as the Emmet before mentioned the h Prou. 30. 24. Conies or Mice of the Mountaines the Locusts and Spiders whose strange industry and operations wise Agur much admireth Of which and infinite such like that of the Prophet may iustly be taken vp i Psal 111. 2. The workes of the Lord are great sought out of all that haue pleasure therein To this seeking and pleasuring in the workes of God wee are called both by the manner of creating in that God made not all at once by his Word or becke as hee could haue done but by peece-meale in sixe dayes that we might follow him and consider of euery dayes worke seuerally and also by the first institution of the Sabbath in the close of all which besides other ends was ordayned to be a day of contemplation or beholding of God in his workes as the k Psal 92. Psalme or Song for the Sabbath insisting vpon the Works of the Lord plainly intimateth If we could as dutie bindeth vs be brought hereunto we should then liue in this World as in an ample and magnificent Temple furnished with most beautifull Images or Laymens Bookes of Gods owne making to admonish and comfort vs vpon euery occasion and should haue no need of Popish Images to that end directly against the expresse minde of God reuealed in his Word And let me adde thus much more for the increase and confirmation of our comfort heerein By this comparison drawne from the vnregarded foules of the Aire from Sparrowes and Rauens as wee may seec Luke 12. 6. 24. wee are taught that no sence of our owne vilenesse or want of meanes ought to plucke vs from resting vpon Gods Prouidence but rather send vs to it Shall l Mat. 10. 29. Sparrowes sold so good cheape and rauening Rauens safely rest vpon it in their kind without all meanes and not be disappointed And shall not we made after Gods owne Image redeemed by the bloud of his onely begotten Sonne sealed by his Spirit vnto the day of Redemption to whom it is his good pleasure to giue the Kingdome doe it much more The third Reason propounded also with a vehement Interroation doth demonstrate the vanitie and vnprofitablenesse of taking thought about outward supplyes m Verse 27. Which of you by taking thought can adde one Cubit to his stature What manner of reasoning this is Christ himselfe sheweth elsewhere n Luke 12. 26. If then yee be not able to doe that which is least why take yee thought for the rest So that hee maketh it a reasoning from the lesse to the greater to be of tall or lowe stature conferreth little or nothing to a comfortable life yet are wee not able by any solicitude or carefulnesse to mend our selues therein any whit All that wee can doe is to vse the meanes which God hath appointed to that end by taking sustenance and preseruing our health so much as in vs is and to leaue that increase of our stature and of our childrens to God alone so in like manner are we for competencie and suffizance in outward things to vse the best industrie and prouision that wee can and then in faith and holy dependance to expect the successe from God o Prou. 10. 22. Deut. 8. 17 18. Psal 127. 1. whose blessing onely maketh rich and giueth content The short is that as our stature so our state of life commeth meerely from the hand and appointment of Almightie God That notable comparison which Irenaeus taketh vp to illustrate the doctrine concerning the communion of Saints may well bee taken vp in this case As one lumpe and one loafe cannot bee made of drye wheate without moysture so neither can wee being many be made one in Christ without the water which is from heauen In like manner how wise and working heads soeuer men haue and what meanes and indeauours soeuer they vse yet the lumpe or leafe of thrift cannot be kneaded or raised vp without liquor from heauen that is without Gods blessing Where that is wanting great husbands with all their great trauell and cares doe but as bowlers who crye rub rub and bend their body which way they would haue their bowle to goe but all in vaine Hitherto our Lord Christ p Verse 25. 26 27 hauing earnestly taxed men for torturing their minds about necessarie foode doth now the like about rayment q Verse 28. 29 30. And why take you thought for rayment consider the Lillies of the field how they grow they toile not neither doe they spinne c. vsing the like vehement interrogation and vndeniable reasoning from the comparison of the lesse as before And heere also in so low a degree that it ought to make vs ashamed of our vnbeliefe to haue the least mistrust that hee should not cloathe vs who cloatheth the Lillies not of the garden onely which are regarded of men but of the fields which no body looketh after whose beautie and brauerie hee maketh to goe beyond Salomons the mirrour of maiestie and magnificence which thing he calleth vpon vs to consider and diligently meditate on Shall God our heauenly father so cloathe the grasse which is to day and to morrow is cast into the furnace or else otherwise soone withereth and dyeth away and shall hee not much more cloathe vs for whom hee hath made these and all other things and whom out of his rich mercie and grace hee hath cloathed with his sonne Iesus Christ the Lord of glorie Let vs stay here a little and obserue well and lay to heart how irreligious and absurd this carefulnesse about apparell must needs bee Since it is not onely against our Lord and Masters most earnest prohibition but against a more sure word and ordinance of Almightie God then that of the Lilies if anything can be more sure For they being in appearance dead in Winter yet by vertue of Gods operatiue r Gen. 1. 11. word grow againe in the Spring and without their labour and spinning are so arrayed as Christ here speaketh Wee haue for this purpose the word of the same God in a farre more excellent maner both his vocall word promising Å¿ Psal 34. 10. that they which seeke the Lord shall not want any good thing auouching also that hee t Deut. 10. 18. loueth the stranger who of all other is most to seeke giuing him food and rayment and his operatiue word also in making good that promise from time to time as we see in our first parents u Gen. 3. 21. whose nakednesse he cloathed in Iacob x Gen. 28. 20. and 32 10. whose petition for bread to eate and rayment to put on God most graciously and plentifully answered in the Israelites y Deut. 8. 4. and 29 5. following him through the barren wildernesse to whom most miraculously he did the like fortie yeares together To let this passe obserue heere by the way how
indeed blessed euen such as naturall men iudge of all other to be most wretched and miserable whom he describeth together with their blessednesse Cap. 5. vers 3. to 13. First by their preparation to the kingdome of heauen and so to true blessednesse They are poore in spirit they mourne they hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Secondly by their inward disposition they are meeke mercifull pure in heart peace-makers Thirdly by their outward condition they are so farre from ciuill and worldly happinesse that they are forced to vndergoe many manifold crosses eue◠for their righteousnesse sake To take these things in order as they are layed before vs in the p Verse 3. text first hee pronounceth them blessed what frailties or calamities soeuer they labour vnder who are poore not so much in purse as in spirit being of a broken and contrite heart trembling at the word of God whose displeasure they feare not with seruile but reuerentiall feare aboue all dreadfull things and whose mercy through CHRIST IESVS they make their onely refuge disclaiming all affiance in themselues or any creature And being conscious of their owne wants and weaknesses they are much more vile in their owne eyes then they are or can be in other folkes as wee see plainely q Luke 18. 13. in the poore Publican The very heathen receiued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know thy selfe as a diuine oracle and layed it downe as the foundation of true wisdome and happinesse as our Lord and Master here doth In the second place Verse 4. hee pronounceth them blessed not who are at ease in Zion and liue deliciously but that mourne not a thousandth part so much for their afflictions and miseries though they bee sensible of them and bewaile them also as very bitter fruits of that bitter root of sinne but as S. Iames teacheth r Iames 4. 9 10. they are afflicted sorrow and weepe they turne their carnall laughter into mourning and ioy into heauinesse casting downe themselues for their sinnes before the Lord In which respect they grieue at the heart that they can grieue no more This godly sorrow for sinne wheresoeuer it reigneth causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of as was said before and therefore cannot but make him or her blessed in whom it is found what sorrow or anguish soeuer they meete withall in this present world for this word of Christ must stand for euer Blessed are they that mourne Onely let our study and care be rightly to discerne this godly sorrow from the counterfeit In godly sorrow the mourning is for sinne as it is sin and offence against the diuine Maiestie and not for by-respects as feare of punishment shame of the world losses and crosses Againe it is ioyned with hope of pardon and full purpose of an intire reformation It is also exercised not onely about our owne sinnes and euils but with ſ 2. Pet. 2. 7. 8. iust Lot and those holy mourners Ezech. 9. it maketh vs to be vexed in our soules by hearing and seeing the vnlawfull deedes of others And finally wheresoeuer it is there cannot but bee exceeding sorrow for the t Amos 6. 6. affliction of Ioseph that is of the people of God In the third place Verse 5. they are pronounced blessed not who are treafe and teachie◠irefull and snappish rendring euill for euill nor the rigorous exacters of their owne right but the meeke who haue learned in their greatest distresses and wrongs to submit themselues vnder the mightie hand of God as did patient u Job 1. 21. 22. and 2. 10. Iob in all the malicious most hostile incursions both of the deuill and vngodly men and x 2. Sam. 16. Dauid in Shimeis most bitter cursing and other villanous abuses of him so in all cases of the like nature to beare and quietly to passe by whatsoeuer iniuries of the aduersaries much more the frailties of their brethren and sisters in Christ giuing soft answers so much as may be making the best construction of euery thing and when need is forgoing their right Abram y Gen. 13. 9. like to buy peace good will Finally not to be ouercome of euill but to ouercome euill with their goodnesse This is to become followers of him who z Isai 53. was brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a sheepe before the shearer is dumbe so opened hee not his mouth who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to him who iudgeth righteously and in the meane season not only prayed but dyed for the transgressors This is indeed to a Rom. 8. 14. be led by the doue-like spirit of God and to approue our selues to bee the sonnes of God Verily the Lambe whereunto CHRIST IESVS is resembled and the Doue wherevnto the Holy Ghost is resembled beeing Emblemes of meeknesse as wee know are the Coate or Cognizance for euery true Christian to bee knowne by in his spirituall warfare In the fourth place they are pronounced blessed not who are Gold-thirstie or full with the wind of ciuillo Pharisaicall righteousnesse or with the swill of worldly pleasures and delights but which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse desiring most vehemently and eagerly for hunger will breake through stone-walls further knowledge apprehension and sence of their most happy restoring to the fauour and image of GOD by the bloud and spirit of CHRIST IESVS That they may be able with the holy Apostle out of their owne experience to glory and say b Gal. 2. 19 20. I by the Law meaning the morall Law especially being accused condemned and driuen to CHRIST IESVS am dead to the Law am vnder the malediction and condemnation of it no longer that I might liue vnto God through his Sonne CHRIST by whom I haue now receiued the attonement and his holy Spirit withall I am crucified with CHRIST by vertue of mine vnion with him by Faith which inestimable benefit was sealed vp in my Baptisme I partake the sweet fruit of his Death and Passion as verily as if I had satisfied for my sinnes in mine owne person Neuerthelesse I liue spiritually which before mine effectuall calling to the knowledge of the Gospell was spiritually dead yet not I as of or in my selfe but CHRIST liueth in me by his Spirit assuring my spirit of the forgiuenesse of all my sinnes and moreouer quickening me vnto all righteousnesse and the life which I now liue in the flesh while I am in this present World I liue by the faith of the Sonne of GOD whereby to mine vnspeakable comfort whatsoeuer Law of Rebellion I find in my members I rest perswaded that hee hath loued mee his poore creature being by nature now wholy depraued the child of wrath and by life without measure abominable Yea euen when I stood in this damnable and desperate estate hee c 2. Cor. 5. 21. gaue himselfe for me to become sinne and d
wayes met and no gesture but standing and perking vp to be seene the further off And when they fasted insteed of making their hearts sad they made a sad countenance insteed of disfiguring their lusts they disfigured their faces for the very nonce affecting rather the seeming then the substāce of sanctimony the opinion rather then the thing Is not this most base and loathsome dealing enough to make one cast his gorge ought wee not to abhorre and abominate any spice of it Surely as the Lacedemonians are said to haue set their drunken and spuing slaues before the eyes of their children to cause them to abhorre drunkennesse so doth our Lord and Master heere set these ambitious and dissembling wretches before the eyes of his Disciples and of all his faithfull people to worke in them a hatred and loathing of such doings and to make them more in loue with humilitie and sinceritie The second reason against hypocrisie and ostentation is the vnhappie successe of it which to make the matter out of all question hee auoucheth with his vsuall asseueration Amen or verily I say to you they haue their reward Praise they hauke after and praise they haue one corrupt man applauding another as one Mule or Asse knibbles another and more then that are they not to expect their reward shall dye with them If they doe not out-liue it as commonly hypocrites doe whose vizards at the length God pulleth off from their faces in this present life and insteede thereof t Mal. 2. 3. casteth dung vpon them But howsoeuer they enioy their bright and brittle reward all their dayes being reputed Saints vpon earth yet shall that word of Christ stand for euer u Luke 16. 15. That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of GOD. And the more praise they find for the present the more dishonour shall they find at the last day when fained holinesse charitie and humilitie will clearely appeare to bee double deuillishnesse and iniquitie Then shall all time-seruers know perfectly by wofull experience how good a thing it had beene not to haue x Iohn 5. 44. receiued honour one of another but to haue sought the honour that commeth of GOD onely In the second place hee exhorteth them to humilitie and sinceritie in Almes Prayer and Fasting aduising them rather to affect obscuritie by hiding their goodnesse from the eyes of men then same and celebritie by setting themselues and their good workes to sale any manner of wayes Hee would haue them learne the art of holy dissimulation so farre forth that if it were possible to hide it from their owne selues they should doe it resting vpon Gods approofe testimonie and reward alone When thou giuest Almes let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth signifying by this hyperbolicall prouerbe that if the left hand had reason and vnderstanding it should be kept from the knowledg of that good which the right hand doth then much more should other folkes Teaching vs to be so farre from making that to bee our ayme to please men looking no further as hypocrites doe not that wee should feare and flee nothing more then to doe good vpon these conditions to sell away as it were our golden workes for such a drossie and durtie reward But contrariwise to hold such inwardnesse and secrecie with God as to make it our great and onely ambition that hee alone who alone is worthy may bee pleased and glorified by all meanes To this end serueth that which followeth when thou prayest enter into thy closet or some such place of priuacie sequester thy selfe from all companie set thy selfe in Gods presence alone with alone poure out thine heart in secret into his bosome that dwelleth in secret And know thou that this blessed secrecie with God will in speciall manner further thy deuotion and put by the occasion of vaine glorie so much hated of God and preiudiciall to men So when thou fastest priuately howsoeuer thou weepe and bewaile thy sinnes and miserie and the sinne and miserie of the time in secret before thine heauenly father yet openly before men set as good a face on it and looke as cheerefully as thou canst yea rather then faile vse what Art thou canst to that end wash thy face anoint thine head which was the manner of that countrie to expresse ioy and cheerefulnesse thereby put thy selfe in such a habit as will best serue to couer thine extraordinarie humiliation Let it suffice thee in the act of fasting to approue thy selfe vnto God and to bee seene and knowne of him as an honest Matrone is beautifull and trimmed enough if she be so in her husbands eyes shee looketh after none other Thou hast much more reason to stand so affected towards thy God so thyselfe thine actions may be amiable in his eyes to looke no further His reason annexed hereunto drawne from the fruit and benefit is very obserueable y Vers 4. 6. 18. And thy Father which seeth thine Almes Prayer and Fasting in secret will reward thee openly where in the word reward hee giueth none allowance to the beggerly trash of Popish merit but rather commendeth the rich treasures of Gods mercie and goodnesse who freely accepting vs accepteth our workes done at his appointment and through his gracious assistance crowning vs crowneth our workes So z Psal 127. 3. children and the fruits of the wombe are called an heritage of the Lord and his reward and free gift So elsewhere The meaning is that whereas hypocrites and vaine-glorious persons looking to men and hauing their worldly aimes and ends vtterly lose their reward with God the faithfull and truely religious trading as it were with God alone and hauing a secret stocke running with him of Almes Prayer Fasting and other good workes receiue in due time an open reward and blessing from their heauenly father suitable to their foregoing endeauours Neither are we to confine this open reward as most doe to the life to come only But we are to know be assured that the Almes Prayers and Fasting of Gods children are apparantly crowned with most blessed successe beyond all expectation many times euen in this very life The mercifull man as hath beene said findeth mercie in time of neede according to his mercie shewed to others and that with a rich increase many times The prayers of the Saints come not weeping home but fetch down blessings from heauen to earth to their great ioyes increase Their fasting also is oftentimes turned to feasting God giueth them beautie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse All which Cornelius the Centurion found most true by comfortable experience for his Almes Prayers and Fasting not done in hypocrisie or of vaine-glorie but in faith and sinceritie a Act 10. 4. came in remembrance before God and receiued an open and Illustrious reward from him So this or the like song is often in
preaching and Baptisme of Iohn the Sonne of Zachary his fore-runner This worthily hath the next place as the most speciall meanes of hallowing his Name In the third Petition thy will bee done in earth as it is Heauen we begge that the holy Will of God reuealed in his Word or by the euent may bee yeelded vnto of vs and all his people as vniuersally ioyously and constantly as it is of the blessed Angels and Saints departed who are at his becke in euery thing howsoeuer for the degree we come farre short of them And this we craue as a matter absolutely necessarie both because we are one Family r Phil. 3. 20. Common-wealth and Kingdome of Heauen as our Lord Christ commonly calleth his Church heere beneath with them and because our doing of the Will of GOD is the hallowing of his Name on our parts which otherwise is Å¿ Ezek. 36. 20. Rom. 2. 24. prophaned In the fourth Petition giue vs this day our daily bread we intreate God the authour of these our soules and bodies to support and comfort them both in the state of nature and grace so farre the ancient and some new Writers also stretch it by giuing food and foison bread and the staffe of bread euen all necessaries of this life and a better with his blessing vpon vs in the vse of them To the state of nature belongeth food rayment protection gladnesse of heart c to the state of grace belong the Word Sacraments Ministerie the inward operation and gifts of the Holy Ghost c. In the fift Petition forgiue vs our debts as wee forgiue our debters we request that though we still incurre his danger by our sinnes as it were so many debts yet hee would not withdraw his mercie from vs but settle our hearts in the assurance of pardon and withall spare his Rods. Whereof we professe our selues to be perswaded because euen we that are euill by nature haue learned at his bidding and by his example to shew mercie to our repenting brethren who haue wronged vs in what degree soeuer In the sixt and last Petition leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill we beseech God that though the Deuill desire to winnow vs as wheate and we deserue it yet that he would not leaue vs in temptation nor giue vs vp as hee doth many to Satans or our own lusts but assist vs euermore in our spirituall warfare and that t Rom. 16. 20. the God of peace would tread Satan vnder our feet shortly Finally in the conclusion for thine is the kingdome and the power and the glory for euer Amen which is the third part we learne that God alone is to be called vpon without fainting wauering or doubting any way and to be praysed incessantly because the absolute and independent souereigntie ouer all and power to doe all whatsoeuer he will by his onely word or becke and glorie for all to which glory of his he hath ioyned our good corporall and spirituall belongeth incommunicably to him How can he then but in due season and manner heare and helpe vs his poore subiects ayming at his glory and depending vpon him according to the tenour of the Petitions aforegoing In assurance whereof wee set to our seale as it were by saying Amen so be it yea so shall it most certainly be and therefore according to our bounden dutie we rest perswaded of it without taking any further thought about any of those things which at thine owne appointment wee haue asked Thus much briefly of the Lords Prayer onely there is added as it were a Post-script as an explaination of the reason of the fifth Petition u Verse 14 15. For if yee forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you but if yee forgiue not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgiue your trespasses In which words he maketh our forgiuing of others though not the principall cause mouing our heauenly Father to forgiue vs for x 1. Iohn 4. 19. we loue him and our Neighbour in him because he loued vs first yet the certificatory cause if I may so speake as a necessary fruit and vnseparable companion of the loue of God towards vs. So that where one of them is either Gods forgiuing of vs or our sincere forgiuing one of another both are and where both are not neither is If my propensitie and readinesse to forgiue my Neighbour who hath wronged mee seuen times yea seuentie times seuen times and to doe what good I can to the wrong doer and that of conscience to God bring not comfort to my soule that my sinnes are forgiuen mee nothing can truly comfort And if I can truly comfort my selfe before God that I so forgiue and doe good then a figge for all that the Deuill or Man or mine owne euill and distrustfull heart can say to the contrarie I will euer stop their mouthes with this Euen I my selfe that am euill am taught of God and I thanke God haue learned to forgiue men their trespasses vpon their Repentance and to doe them what good I can much more then my good God and heauenly Father will vpon mine vnfeined Repentance forgiue me all my trespasses and doe mee all good And not without case is this point so much insisted vpon because he knoweth our propensitie to reuenge and to beare a grudge and loathnesse to be reconciled one to another as also because y Psal 32. 1 2. the forgiuenesse of sinnes is our maine freehold and inheritance wherein consisteth our euerlasting blessednesse Thus much concerning his directions for prayer let vs now at the length proceede to the description of fasting which wee may in some sort define to bee an z Leu. 23. 32. afflicting of our soules before God by a holy abstinence from foode and all other comforts of this life so farre as may well bee for the space of foure and twentie houres * Ester 4. 16. or more according to the occasion to testifie and further our humiliation in repentance and zeale in prayer This afflicting of the soule before God can no more stand with vaine glorie and hypocrisie then fire and water light and darknesse can agree together And these true ends of fasting humiliation in repentance and zeale in Prayer are as directly opposite to all Pharisaiecall and Papistical opinion of merit ex opere operato by the worke done as any thing can bee for they consist meerely not in any vaine plea of the merit of our worke but in a most humble confession of our guilt and miserie Besides the true manner of fasting from food and other comforts of this life for foure and twentie houres or more confuteth plainely not ciuill abstinence from some kinds of meat at certaine times for politicke respects but the Romish abuses in their manner of fasting standing in abstinence from flesh and their Supper in lieu whereof they punish their carkasses many of them with such