the Lord himselfe will repent of all that euill that he hath begun to do vnto vs and though hee hath taken away many thousands alreadie yet he will spare the rest and leaue some euery where to praise his Name So many therefore among vs as doe thus with true repentance turne from their sinnes to serue the Lord in holinesse and newnesse of life may praie with great hope and comfort for mercie from the Lord for the promise is made vnto them whosoeuer they be but all they that yeeld to this outward bodily exercise of fasting but are not thus broken in their harts nor affected in their soules neither haue any care so to be as they cannot call vpon the name of the Lord with anie earnestnesse of praier but all is done formally and ceremonially of them so they cannot haue anie great hope of being heard but shall speede thereafter And especially we may see plainely from the eighteenth verse of that chapter vnto the end of the same Which promises are most certaine and belonging to vs as well as to the Iewes how plainely and largely he doth promise not onely a remoouing of that great punishment which was verie much and for the certaintie of it and to assure her faith of it speaketh of it as though it were alreadie come saying then will the Lord be iealous ouer his lande and spare his people Ioel 2.18 and againe ver 22. be not afraid yee beastes of the field for the pastures of the wildernesse are greene for the tree beareth her fruite the figge tree and the vine doe giue their force be glad then yee children of Sion and reioice in the Lord your God for he hath giuen you the raine of righteousnesse that is as much as is meet for you in this great drought In al which words he speaking of this benefite to come as though it were already giuen them according to the maner of the prophets doth shew that he had alreadie receaued this promise from the Lorde that if they did thus throughly cast downe themselues in the guiltinesse of their sinnes and conscience of their deserts he would spare them and blesse them and besides hee would poure out his holy spirit most plentifully vpon them And this vndoubtedly is set downe for our consolation and instruction to shew vs what in the like case we may looke for And truely it must needes be so for there is no respect of persons with God and the promises of his worde though spoken vnto some particular people vpon some occasion yet are for all ages and times and doe generally belong to all alike vpon the same condition Therefore when as it saide to them Turne vnto the Lorde with all your heart and rent your hearts and when you are thus humbled the Lord will returne for your good and so foorth as it followeth in that place it is spoken not to them onely but to all such as in the like case shall thus do and so vnto vs now that we may be assured that if we thus do in that measure that we doe it in truth we shall finde mercie with the Lorde and so may praie for it most earnestlie in faith as they were willed to doe And the rather that we might thus doe Secondly consider the fulfilling of these promises to al those that haue vsed fasting and praier and be confirmed in the truth of this hope let vs vnto this gracious promise that we haue heard of ioine the consideration of all the fastes of the faithfull seruants of God set downe in the old and new Testament and see what hath beene the issue of them and whether they haue not obtained the things that they haue thus sued for and if the Lord hath not turned their sorrow into ioy Isa 61.3 their fasting into feasting and so hath giuen as the prophet speaketh to them that haue mourned beatitie for ashes the oile of ioy for mourning and the gâ—rment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse And heere wee may first of all consider what was the fruite of that fast which the Israelites helde in the time of the Iudges when for the wickednesse done to the Leuites concubine they fought against the Beniamites and were ouerthrowne in the first battle Iudg. 20. so that there was slaine that daie two and twentie thousand they fasted and praied set vpon them the second time yet were ouerthrowne in that battle also for the men of Beniamin slew downe to the ground of the children of Israel againe eighteene thousand all which could handle the sword then they fasted and praied the second time and got the victory when they were throughly humbled So that by fasting praier they preuailed against them at the last though not at the first and might haue done sooner if they had beene sufficiently humbled before As the Israelites thereby at the last preuailed against the Beniamites Wee haue hitherto with the rest of our brethren fasted and praied often that this grieuous plague raging in manie places might haue an ende and yet haue not thus farre preuailed with the Lord but the people stil die euerie where in great number yea it hath increased greatly since wee began so that ours and their estate is woorse then it was before we began euen as the Israelites did fall by thousands before their enimies after that they had by fasting and praier asked counsell of the Lord but if wee can hold out in this exercise vnto the end and not be discouraged though wee see little successe at the first and the more that wee see the hand of God increased against vs in iustice the more wee labour to grow in humilitie and feruency of praier then we doubt not but at the last by the euent as the Israelites did we shall see that we haue not all this while lost our labour and called vpon the name of God in vaine Therefore that we might with assured confidence and good hope perseuer in this holy exercise of fasting and praier besides the promise of God made vnto it which we haue heard let vs set this worthy example before our eies to comfort vs that though the beginning hath beene full of soâ—â—owe as it was with them yet the end will be full of ioy and consolation to our selues and others and to the praise and glorie of almightie God To this we may adioine that notable and famous example that we haue in the booke of Hester Hest 3.6 where it is said that Haman for the malice that hee bare against Mordecay sought the vtter destruction of all the Iewes for he thought it too little to laie handes on Mordecay himselfe alone and because they had shewed him the people of Mordecay he sought to destroy all the Iewes that were through out the whole kingdome of Ahashuerosh and to this end he had obtained a Decree from the king Hest 3.13 to roote out and to destroie and to
to fast and that by vertue of that coÌ„mandement giuen to them as well as they were For if we consider the end and see the equitie and reason of it we shall finde that it bindes vs as much as them and so we hauing the same cause among vs which mooued the Lord to inioine them this practise must thinke that we haue the same commandement also of fasting thogh not at that time and yeerely yet at some time in a yeere at the least in many yeeres For it being ordained to this end that they being humbled for their sinnes priuate and publike and there testifying their humiliation the wrath of God against them either threatned iustly in the lawe or vpon them alreadie or appearing imminent might be turned away and so they reconciled vnto God and spared we haue the same cause to bee humbled manie waies especially at this present and so now God commandeth vs to vse it And first of all in respect of our great vnwoorthinesse of Gods manifold benefits for looke to rhem that be publike past and present as the long and happie and peaceable raigne of our late soueraigne Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie To be humbled both iâ— respect of thâ— death of ouâ— late Queen Elizabeth with the Gospell and freedome from our enemies and other plagues and then consider on the other side the little fruit of them the great vnthankfulnesse for them nay abuse for them and of Gods patience in them and we shall see great cause of humilitie and of earnest seeking to God for the continuance of them by fasting and praier especially if we well way the late great losse of ours in the death of her Maiestie For if Dauid bad the people of his time mourne for the death of Saul their King because they enioyed manie great benefits vnder his gouernment saying â— Sam. 1.4 Ye daughters of Israel weepe for Saul which clothed you in scarlet and with pleasures and hanged ornaments of golde vpon your apparell then we much more haue cause to lament for her death by whose life we enioyed and that so long so many inestimable benefits both for soule and bodie for profit and for pleasure and truely it is to be feared that her death is too lightly passed away of the most The Lord indeed in much mercy hath most happily supplied it beyond all our expectation but yet that must not be forgotten and the more gratiously and speedily he hath supplied it and yet we vnwoorthy of the former the more cause haue wee to be humbled For when many great benefits come heaped vp one after another and no measure of true thankfulnesse and obedience answerable vnto it there must needs come some great punishment afterwards if it be not preuented And so the sight and consideration of these great benefits thus continued with the little or no fruit at all of them should humble vs and so driue vs to shew it in fasting and prayer that God might forgiue vs and so still continue his benefts Besides this if they vpon this day had cause to bee humbled for their sinnes And in respect of our sinnes and for the punishment of them either present or imminent then if our sinnes be as great and many or more than theirs because we haue more and greater benefits for his Word in the ministery of the Gospel is more cleerely come to vs and this time hath many things which the time of the Law had not then seeing to whom much is giuen â—uke 12.48 of them much is required we hauing receiued so much in comparison of them and done so little for it haue more cause to be humbled than they and so are bound by vertue of this law to holde some dayes of humiliation as well as they though not that yeerely day especially if we consider the punishment not onely to be feared but alreadie vpon vs. For though God hath giuen vs a most gratious and worthy Prince yet see how there hath beene feare of losing him by the desperate attempts of his traiterous enemies whom thogh in their plot it hath pleased God to disapoint and we hope and pray that he alwayes so will yet he hath suffered them somwhat to breake out that all might take knowledge of them to be humbled for their sinnes the cause of them For he is not King for himselfe but for vs in his preseruation consisteth all our good in his death the losse of vs all especially when they seeke also to put out his whole race and to bring in some Popish Spanish pretended heire then consider the losse of Religion and the more than hazzard yea vtter ouerthrow of our peace and all that we haue we should come vnder the popish and Spanish yoke either of which were intolerable as our forefathers haue learned by too lamentable experience therefore in respect of this also we haue cause to be humbled and so to fast both to bring vs to it and outwardly to declare it Moreouer if we consider the great sicknes and mortality that raigneth hath done a long time in most of the chiefe places in the land And this present pestilence that is in many parts of this land as in London where haue died 2000. this last weeke and more and truly this is much considering how many haue remooued out of this citie and how many haue died before so that it is reported that there are certaine hundred houses standing emptie besides in most of the villages about London and in other cities and great townes as in Norwich and in manie coast townes and other in Norfolke and Suffolke as Yarmouth Laystaffe Ipswich c. that I speake not of those which are in other shires as Colchester Cambridge Newmarket and many more that we know not If there were nothing but this there were great cause to be humbled for so manifest a token of Gods wrath so apparently and so vniuersally and so long shewed And this mooued the Kings Maiestie of his Princely care that he hath of all his subiects to set downe this godly order of weekely fasting For concerning our selues though by the free mercy of God it be not vpon vs yet â—om 12.5.16 yet these are our brethren and therefore as the Apostle saith we should be of like affectioÌ„ one towards another Luk. 13 and so ready to weepe with them that weepe Besides as our Sauiour Christ saith of them vpon whom the tower of Siloam fell slew them that they were not the greatest sinners aboue all that dwelt in Ierusalem so must wee say of these men and women that haue died of the plague and of those places where it hath beene and is so heauie but except we amend we shall all likewise perish therefore wee in them as in a glasse are to see what we haue deserued and so for our owne selues to be humbled also considering that this punishment of God vpon them for their sinnes deserued also by
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
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
recompensed that great losse by sending so worthy a King into her roome yet we might then haue feared some other great punishment as we see how this plague hath followed and there was cause to feare it before though few did thinke of it and what may be next vnto this we know not wee are sure that much hath beene deserued and so by fasting and prayer in respect of these great sinnes wee had need to seeke to the Lord to turne it away And thus much for the second cause which might mooue vs to feare some great wrath and displeasure of God to bee shewed in some kinde of correction and rodde of his whereby wee might willingly humble our selues before him in publike fasting euen the great sinnes that in all sorts euery where abound and most shamefully lift vp their heads vncontroled Thirdly and last of all Gods nor â—â— to come apearing iâ— his iudgement denounced haue been causes of publike sâ— sâ—ing concerning this matter the seruants of God in former times haue wisely discerned beforehand of the stormie tempest of Gods wrath to come by the fearefull threatnings of Gods iudgement denounced against them by his faithfull seruaunts that haue spoken to them in his Name whom as they haue beene perswaded that they haue beene stirred vp by his holy spirit to speake vnto them from his mouth and to warne them thereby out of his word as from himselfe so they haue feared the things that haue beene spoken against them and as though they did see them comming haue sought vnto him by fasting and prayer to escape them And this is the thing that mooued the King of Niniue to doe as he did namelie that when hee heard the preaching of the Prophet Iona how hee did crie out against their sinne and threatned Gods vengeance to light speedily vpon the whole citie vnlesse they did speedilie repent â—ona 3.4 euen that within fortie dayes Niniue should be ouerthrowen when this word came vnto him hee arose from his throne laied his robe from him and couered himselfe with sackecloth and sate in ashes and proclaimed a fast thorow the whole citie by the counsell of the King his nobles saying Let neither man nor beast feed nor drinke water that so in all humilitie they seeking to God for mercy and turning euery man froÌ„ his euill waâ—es they might bee spared in this which they saw they had so great cause to feare for it is sayd The people of Niniue beleeued God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackecloth from the greatest of them euen to the least of them they beleeued in God and that moued them to do so that is they beleeued that Iona Iona. 3.5 who thus preached was a true Prophet and that God had sent him to doe this message vnto them and that their sinnes had deserued this vtter destruction threatned and that of his iustice God might bring it vpon them and therefore though they yet sawe not howe and which way it should come to passe yet beleeuing these things they fell to fasting and prayer to pacifie Gods wrath and to escapâ— it So that as the sound of the trumpet doth warne men to prepare themselues to battell and to go meet with their enemies so this preaching of Gods seruant who lifted vp his voice against them as a trumpet did awaken them out of the sleepe of security and to meet the Lord who was become their enemie by reason of their sinnes and in fasting and praier humblie submitting themselues vnto him to intreat at his hands conditions of peace And truelie in this respect if we should not in like maner seeke to the Lord with fasting praier that his wrath might be appeased towards vs we could not plead ignorance as not knowing anie cause why we should doe so â—Ve haue not wanted this â—ause of publike fasting â—mong vs. for we must needes confesse that the faithfull Ministers of Christ haue often and long ago in the pulpits proclaimed open warre against vs for our sinnes that is they haue threatned Gods heauie iudgements against vs out of his Word to rowse vs from the drowsie securitie of sinne Haue we not heard it preached vnto vs as it was to the Iewes that the kingdome of God should bee taken from vs for our great barrennesse Mat. 21.43 and green to a nation that should bring forth the fruits thereof And haue we not heard the words of the Prophet â—sa 5.1 that whereas the Lord had planted among vs a vineyard in a very fruitefull hill and had hedged it and gathered out the stones of it and had planted it with the best plants and had built a tower in the middes thereof and made a wine-presse therein and then looked that it should bring foorth grapes but it brought foorth wilde grapes that therefore hee would take awaie the hedge thereof that it might be eaten vp and would breake downe the wall thereof that it might be troden down and that he would lay it waste that it should not be digged but briers and thornes should growe vp in it and woulde commaund the cloudes that they should not raine vpon it And as this hath beene threatned so the Lord might according to our deserts after the death of our late Queene Elizabeth haue giuen vs vp either into the hands of some forraine enemies abroad or rebellious persons at home who might haue broken downe all and laid vs the Church of God waste Now though he hath spared vs this waie yet according to former iudgement denounced hee hath not let vs alone in our sinnes but hath taken vs into his owne hande by sending this pestilence among vs which Dauid accounted a great fauour when it was offered vnto him by the prophet Gad 2. Sam. 24.13 after that hee had offended the Lord in numbring of the people whether of these three punishments he would choose either seuen yeeres famine to come vpon the land or to flie three monthes before his enemies or that there should be three daies pestilence in the land saying I am in a woonderfull great strait let vs now fal into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of men and so hee chose the pestilence as a mercifull visitation of the Lord and so must we thinke that though the Lorde hath brought this upon vs for our sinnes according to that that hath beene threatned by his seruants yet heerein he hath delt verie mercifully with vs in that he hath deliuered vs from the cruel oppression of bloody men For Gods iudgements to come for our sinnes haue beene constantly threatned We must needs then acknowledge that the seruants of God haue not kept silence against our sins but haue out of his worde shewed that of his iustice and trueth hee must needes punish vs some waie for our sinnes vnlesse we speedily repent And this as it hath beene alwaies the vsuall dealing of
aduisedly consider howe God hath not onely punished the wicked for their sinnes but that hee hath not spared his owne children as that hee not onely vtterly destroied those seauen goodly churches in Asia because they fell from their first loue and did not repent in time but also did euen cast off the Iewes his owne people for their contempt of his word Mat. 21.43 and tooke away the Gospell of the kingdome from them vnto this day because they did not bring foorth the fruites of it that as the Apostle saith We by their fall might feare Rom. 11.20.21 and seeing hee spared not the naturall branches we shoulde take heed least hee also spare not vs. But most of all we may see the fierce wrath of God against sinne to humble vs Euen vpon his owne sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour and his vnchangeable iustice in the person of his owne deare Sonne who taking vpon him our sinnes was in all torments of soule and bodie pressed downe with them to the bottome of hell for a time Heb. 5.7 Luk. 22.44 no praiers or supplications that hee could make euen with strong cries could deliuer him no agonie or bloudie sweats that hee indured in his soule and bodie could pacifie it and set him free but he must needs beare it vnto the full and so inded as the Prophet foretolde he was wounded for our transgressions Esa 53.8 he was broken for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was vpon him that so we by the law seeing our sinnes and by his curses acknowledging our desert for the same and by the execution of them his constant and immutable iustice in them might in feare and trembling cast downe our selues at his feet and as in fasting we haue bereaued our selues willingly of all so we might feele and in feeling confesse that we are vnwoorthie of all and so come to this most excellent vertue of humilitie which is the first part of those inward graces which by the outward exercise of fasting is to be laboured after and openly professed And so much of that now remaineth the other to be spoken of HOMIL IIII. The fourth Homilie continueth to intreat of the inward vertues of the mind and namely of the hope that we should haue of the pardon of our sinnes vpon our true repentance and that God will giue vs the things that we seeke to him for which hope must stirre vs vp to feruent and long prayer and how by importunitie wee shall preuaile with God and what things els may quicken vs vnto feruent prayer THe second part of the inward vertues of the mind and graces of the spirit of God which we must not only haue The second inward vertue is the hope that by faith we should haue of the fauour of God vpon our true humilitie but labour to be furthered in by this outward exercise of fasting and to which end we do vndertake it and which also we must openly professe is an assurance full hope that God for Christ his sake vpon our true repentance for our sinnes and vnfained humiliation for them and forsaking of them will pardon them all and will giue vs all those things that we stand in need of and wee then make humble sute vnto him for So then this is also another thing that as at all other times so most of all in the day of fast we must labour after euen an increase of faith whereby wee may be raised vp in our soules through the grace of God in Christ as high as the conscience of our sinnes and the deserued punishment of them doth cast vs downe and a full perswasion that we shall obtaine the remoouing of those euils through the death merits of our Sauior Christ which either presently presse vs or iustly hang ouer our heads For as true repentance humbling vs and as it were casting vs downe with one hand both in sorow for our sinnes and confession of the same leaueth vs not in that downefall lest we should dispaire but gratiously reacheth the other hand to lift vs vp againe and this is the right end of all true humilitie not to dismay vs but to comfort vs with the hope of Gods fauour euen from thence as it is sayd Humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God 1. Pet. 5. â—5 that he may exalt you in due time And againe he resisteth the proud but giueth grace to the humble So this solemne profession of humilitie in fasting and praier much more doth and must so cast vs downe and abase vs in the conscience of our vnwoorthinesse euen of the least of Gods benefits openly in our practise by bereauing our selues of them for a time professing so much as that it doth giue vs so much the more hope of fauour from God by how much we doe then more then ordinarily iudge our selues So that heere is another thing to be furthered in by this outwarde abstinence namely In which wâ— must be furthered by the inward and outward affliction of the body and the minde that wee may haue a greater hope and assurance then before that God for Christs sake will be mercifull vnto vs because we doe according to his commandement more humble our selues then before not for the merite or woorthinesse of that but because of the gratious promises which of his free mercie he hath made to all those that thus turne vnto him and vnfainedly seeke him For as the abstinence without this humiliation is nothing worth so is the casting down of our selues in the sight and feeling of our sins our vnworthinesse for the same of no value or profite without this hope in the goodnesse of God and therefore as this abstinence must bring vs to this contrition of heart so that must further vs in our hope And therefore vnto this abstinence there hath beene alwais adioined as a thing inseparable supplications praiers which cannot be at all in any acceptable maner without some hope and assurance from God that we shall bee heard And therefore fasting is neuer without prayer As then in all maner of fastes we must first cleerely see our sins confesse them vnfainedly and thoroughly iudge our selues for them so must we then also with good hope in the goodnesse of God for Christes sake praie earnestly for the full pardon and forgiuenesse of them and for the turning away or remoouing from vs all heauie iudgements which are due to vs or vpon vs for the same So that this is an other thing required of vs in the day of fasting which we now keepe and to which end we doe abstaine as we do euen that with great hope vpon our great humiliation we might praie to God to remooue from our brethren this heauy hand of his that hath a long time lien sore vpon vs and vpon them And thus we shall find in holy scripture that all the best seruants of God haue in their fastings vsed solemne
of sorrow and griefe that that fast of his was not vnrewarded of the Lord. For by that meanes he obtained that the execution of that iudgement against himselfe and all his posteritie which we haue heard of concerning the rasing of him and them from the kingdome and throne of Israel was put off and differred vntill his sonnes daies as it is saide in the wordes of that text that when he had heard what the prophet had prophesied against him 1. King 21.27 hee rent his clothes and put sackecloth vpon himselfe and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly in token of mourning and the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Theshbite saying Seest thou how Ahab is humbled because hee submitteth himselfe before me I will not bring this euill in his daies but in his sonnes daies I will bring euill vpon his house If the Lord then did so iustify this ordinance of his in the person of this wicked man when he did stoope but vnto the outward ceremonie and bodily exercise of it and was altogither voide of true humilitie and sound repentance resting onely in the bare outward tokens of them and had not his heart throughly broken by faith that hee differred this deserued and denounced iudgement so long that it came not in his daies which was a great outward blessing and honour vpon him how then much more if we so vse this outward abstinence as we doe Much mâ—re will he doe it to his seruants that vse it in trueth that especially we ioine to it the inward vertues of humilitie and repentance and contrition of hart and feruencie of praier will the Lord be appeased towards vs and at the least bee so farre foorth intreated that hee differre that great wrath of his that otherwise might breake out to our vtter destruction For if the Lorde hath shewed such mercie to the wicked as to spare them in this world for a time wheÌ„ they haue submitted themselues to the outward obedience of this commandement of humbling theÌ„selues in fasting though in great hypocrisie then howe much more will he spare his owne children that vse it in sincerity and trueth Therfore let this example also somewhat incourage vs with hope of good successe that wee shall finde the Lorde mercifull vnto vs in thus seeking vnto him in this time of great need And wee haue great reason so to doe if we doe but well weigh the dealing of one man towards another that when in affliction they haue submitted themselues vnto them they haue founde fauour with them By humble subâ—ission and pâ—aâ—er men haue found sâ—uouâ— with their enimiâ—s though they had greatly offended them before the onelie hope of this hath mooued them to seeke after this maner euen to those which were their professed enimies before and they haue done it not in vaine For thus it is written of Benadad king of Aram that when he was ouercome in two battels of Ahab king of Israel 1. King 20.29 and receaued so great an ouerthrow in the latter that in it were slaine of the Aramites an hundred thousand footemen in one daie and so was out of hope of anie safetie for himselfe at the length by the aduise of his seruants he put his companie into sackcloth with roapes about their heads and so came to the kind of Israel and intreated for their liues hoping by submitting theÌ„selues vnto him after this maner to obtaine pardon as indeed they did For the messengers when in this araie they came vnto him 1. King 2â— 33 said Thy seruant Benhadad saith I praie thee let me liue vsing all words and behauiour of great submission and Ahab answered he is my brother is he yet aliue goe bring him to me and when hee came hee made a couenant with him and let him goe See what is the fruite of true humiliation and humble supplication and if men will humble themselues and sue earnestly vnto men in hope of pardon 〈…〉 Gâ—d howe much more should they doe it vnto the Lorde whom they haue more offended and who hath greater power to punish them and if vnto those of whom they had no promise before of obtaining any thing but come to them altogither as it were at aduenture then much more to him of whom we haue so manie gratious promises in the Gospell to allure and encourage vs and if vnto those which were their open and professed aduersaries then most of al vnto him that is reconciled vnto vs by the blood of his sonne and is become our father in him and if vnto them where we haue none to speake and intreat for vs but our selues then especially to him where we haue an aduocate and mediatour 1. Ioh. 2.2 euen Iesus Christ the righteous who is also the propitiation for our sinnes and if vnto them of whose loue we neuer made triall before then vnto him much more who as he hath first shewed it aboue all measure in giuing his sonne to die for vs and that when we were his enimies hath since confirmed it vnto vs many waies that we need not doubt of it And on the other side if so great mercy hath beene thus found of men who haue scarce one drop of that compassion in them which is like a great deepe sea in the Lord then may we be assured that we shall not misse of it at his hands if we continue seeking and waite vpon him for it as we should and if a man hath found it of his enimy then much more of his God to whom he is reconciled and if where none speake for him but mortall men like themselues then much more where Iesus Christ the sonne of God maketh continual intercession for vs. So that euery waie we see we haue cause to doe as we do hoping assuredlie that we shall not doe it in vaine 〈…〉 praier Therefore if the commandement of God did not compell vs to the obedience of this humble submission as it doth yet the liberall and most certain promises which are made to them that shall vse it and especially the experience that we and other haue found of the vndoubted trueth of them should prouoke vs to this holy exercise of fasting and praier which if men will not come vnto so farre as they be able what remaineth for them and what other thing can they looke for but that if they will not humble themselues with the people of God to finde mercie they shall taste of his wrath with the wicked and if they wil not weepe now for their sinnes with the one they should houle in the punishment of them when it shall be too late with the other and if they wil haue no part nor portion in the obedience of Gods commandement giuen to his people both vnder the Law and the Gospell that they should haue part with them in the promises of reward made to them in them both Euen as the Lord himselfe in plaine words hath threatned that
would not hearken vnto our voice that is he would not giue ouer fasting though they earnestly intreated him So that whiles the childe laye sicke hee continued his fasting and prayer vnto the Lorde for the life of it for the space of diuers daies for it died not vntill the seuenth day after that it fell sicke Which godly fast of his doth shew that if any shal haue any afâ—liction vpon them and so the Lord giue them cause of sorrow and of humiliation more than others or which others haue not at all no not they which are of the same familie then they are for a time to put themselues apart as it were from the rest and in priuate fasting and prayer to seeke vnto the Lord for mercie more than others So did Ahab when Gods iudgement was denouÌ„ced against him as Dauid did heere So is it sayd also of Ahab King of Israel that when the Prophet Elijah had sharplie rebuked him for his sinnes denounced the curse of God against him and his whole familie for it 1. King 21.20 saying Thou hast solde thy selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord therefore Beholde sayeth the Lord I will bring euill vpon thee and will take away thy posterity and wil cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall as well him that is shut vp as him that is left in Israel and so foorth as it followeth in that place vers 27. When Ahab heard those wordes hee rent his clothes and put on sackecloth vpon him and fasted and lay in sackecloth and went softly Thus because the wrath of the Lord appeared speciallie against him for his sinne though he proclamed no publike fast thorow his kingdome yet he saw that it was high time for himselfe at the least to practise it So ought all other men and women doe in the like case Therefore if any shall haue fallen into any grieuous sinne as these two Kings had whereby the Lord by the ministerie of his Word threateneth against them some notable punishment and their owne consciences tell them that they haue iustlie deserued it or some grieuous thing is alreadie befallen them then they must know it to be their bounden dutie to seeke to turne away the wrath of the Lord from theÌ„selues and from their houses by priuate fasting and prayer and they must not onely acknowledge that the Lord requireth that they should humble themselues before him in fasting and so could be contented that there were some publicke fasts then whereunto they might resort and thinke themselues discharged because there bee none and so tarie vntill some by publike authoritie vpon some occasion be coÌ„manded but because it is their own case onely and none others they must see what God requireth of them alone Reasons to persuade men to priuate fasting And truly if all men would thus do they might preuent manie of Gods heauie iudgements which otherwise befall themselues and theirs but often times many sinnes are most grieuously committed and Gods holy law broken not onely by some one in a familie but by diuers both gouernours children and seruants as adulterie fornication and other vncleannesse drunkennesse and gluttonie swearing and blaspheming the most holy name of God contempt of Gods word and sacraments besides all ruffianlinesse and prophannesse pride oppression and such like and they doe not seeke priuately to humble themselues before God for them when they breake out and are iustly by Gods Ministers reproued for them but rather they go on obstinately and stand in the defence of the same they do not I say after some extraordinarie maner of fasting and prayer seeke feruently vnto the Lord and so his iudgements breake out against them and some plague or other entreth into their houses which with their sinnes they haue defiled that as the Cananites were spued out of that fruitfull land for their wickednesse Leu. 18.28 so are they by sicknesse and death cast out of their goodly houses Which kinde of wickednes coÌ„mitted closely in houses as it was the principall cause that this late plague first entred into them so in that respect some had iust cause to begin sooner and to continue longer their priuate fast then by publike authority all were inioyned vnto it For if Ahab who was an idolater a wicked man did then see that now he had cause to fast though other did not then we that are taught by the Word of God should much more discerne of the times and know when in respect of our priuate sinnes and calamities present The good that might redound to priuate families thereby or iustly to be feared we haue cause to fast and pray though other do not And if Ahab in thus doing did obtaine a release from this particular iudgement so farre foorth that it was put off and came not vpon his house in his dayes according to that that is said of him by the Lord himselfe vnto Eliiah Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me because he submitteth himselfe before me I will not bring that euill in his dayes but in his sonnes daies will I bring euill vpon his house Then wee much more vsing this holy ordinance in sinceritie and trueth might put far from vs and from all ours manie grieuous plagues which our sinnes haue deserued Therefore let vs bee perswaded that it is our bounden dutie sometimes not onely to giue our selues vnto priuate praier which shuld be ordinarie and continuall but euen to fasting and prayer And this is that which we reade of Dauid againe 2. Sam. 3.30 â—hen Abner was traiterously slaine by â—oab and Abishai his brother because not only for the losse of so woorthie a captaine but especially for that great sinne in murthering him Dauid fastâ—d priuatly for the death of Abner which might procure Gods wrath against himselfe and his whole Realme and that it might appeare that hee was free from his blood he not onely sorrowed greatly for his death and prouoked the rest of the people thereunto as it is sayd of him Rent your clothes and put on sackecloth and mourne before Abner and King Dauid himselfe followed the beere and when they had buried Abner in Hebron the King lift vp his voice and wept besides the sepulchre of Abner and all the people wept but also Dauâ—d the King did further humble himselfe by fasting that day because he saw more into the hand of God and was more touched with it for it is written of him That all the people came to cause Dauid to eat meat vers 35. while it was yet day but Dauid sware saying So God do to me and more also if I taste bread or ought else till the Sunne be downe so that it is written of him and of him alone that in this common cause of heauinesse hee not onely mourned with the rest but fasted also and praied vnto God which is to be vnderstood as a thing necessarily ioined vnto fasting though