Works, Part 2 · Treatise 12
A TREATISE OF THE DOCTRINE OF FASTING.
Matth. 6.
When thou fastest, prepare thy selfe secretly, not before men, but God which seeth in secret, and he will reward thee openly.
Esay. 1. 16.
The fasting that the Lord requireth, is, that you put away your euill thoughts, ceasing to doe euill, and learne to doe good: applying your selues to equitie, and deliuering the oppressed, helping the fatherlesse to his right, and letting the widowes complaint come before you.
Esay. 58.
VntoUnto whom he is like that fasteth, and yet ceaseth not to sinne. Behold when you fast, your lust remaineth still: for you doe no lesse violence to your debtors, ye fast to strife and debate, and smite with the fist of wickednesse.
Zach. 7. 9.
Fasting without true workes of merciemercy is vnprofitable. Shew merciemercy and …ouing kindnes eueryevery man to his neighbour.
Dan. 9.
Daniel prayed vntounto the Lord with fasting.
Ioel. 2. 12.
Let vsus turne to the Lord with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
1. Sam. 7. 6.
The children of Israel fasted, confessing their sinnes to God.
Acts. 14.
Paul and Barnabas praied and fasted at the ordaining of Elders.
2. Cor. 6. 4.
Paul proueth himselfe a Minister of God by fasting and praying.
Luk. 2. 37.
Anna the Prophetesse serued God by fasting and praying.
Psalm 35. 13.
Iesus Christ humbld his soule.
Psalm. 69. 10.
Weakened his knees.
Psalm. 109. 24.
And became leane with fasting.
SOme fasts are generall and priuate, as the fast instituted of Hester and Mardoche, which was commaunded generally to all the Iewes, but yet priuately practised in their seuerall houses: some are publike and particular, as the fast of Ezra in the behalfe of the Iewes, which married strange wiues. This must needes be confessed first in him to be singular: Secondly, when they that feared the words of the Lord would adioyne themselues vntounto him, to be particular, yet done in the Temple before, and for others to be publike. It may be granted that the fasts now of our time in the same sense, may be said to be generally vsed, that is in all and eueryevery place of this realine, for that they may be vsed according to Gods holy ordinance, and in this sense it is often taken, both in the Scriptures, and common speech; but as it is taken in our proper sense there cannot as yet be any generall fast obserued: when all those things can in no measure be performed, which in that kinde is necessarily required. It may be indeed, that such daies of generall mourning may come (which God for his Christs sake turne away from vsus) as of generall warres, plagues, and famines: for then men will be easilie brought to generall fasts with the Niniuites. But these kinds of fasts as they are now vsed, and as in the Scriptures they are commaunded to be vsed, be to be taken vp in the wisedome of the spirite to mooue vsus to mourne for many spirituall euils present, the very causes of generall dangers to come, which by these meanes may be preuented, and can be vnderstood of no kinde of men, but of them which are truely taught out of the word of God, to see and feele their owne sins, and the sins of others, and to feare those iudgements of God to come. And here holdeth the direction of our Sauiour Christ, concerning the rent cloth, and new wine; for becauseMatth. 9. How expeaient it were that some publike fasts should be obserued in our time. it cannot be so generall, rather then there should be none, it is better that the doctrine be truely deliuered, and some example thereof shewed, to prouoke others by an holy emulation thereunto, that both the people may be deliuered from their ignorance, and also being taught the truth of the doctrine, that they should not think the vse of it vnpossible. Besides the true fast both publike and priuate truly taught, and faithfully practised doth deliuer vsus from our errours: wherewith we hauehave bin intangled, keepeth vsus from carnal liberty which otherwise we might take, confuteth the erronious, and dangerous opinions of the Papasts about fasting, and stoppeth their slaunderous mouthes, who of long time hauehave accused vsus that we fast not at all.
The necessity of fasting in our Church may easily be seene, for that we aboūd with so many sins: fasting is necessarily to be vsed with prayer, for the preseruation of Religion, & of the Estate, & that the word of God may be diuided aright, that the cōsciences of mē being terrified with their sin, they may see how they hauehave deserued the change of Religion, and alteration of this prosperous gouernment, though God in his merciemercy hath hitherto continued both, & will do still, if we still bewailing our sins, & amending our liues beleeue both his threatnings and his promises to be true. But aboue all, Fasting in these daies is necessarie, because our sinnes do more abound than before, greater tokens of Gods wrath doe appeare than before, more feare of danger both in the Church and Common-wealth than before, which being manifest, it is requisite not onelyonly that there should be ordinarie preachingMunition for warre, & all meanes for peace, that they may be blessed vntounto vsus, ought not to want preaching, prayer and fasting. and praying for his Maiestie, his Councell, the Church & Common-wealth, which w… alwaies vsed: but also extraordinarie vse of those meanes with fasting, to preuent the wrath of God that may ensue. And cōcerning the ordinary defence against euils to come, it must be confessed, that as they are subordinated and ioyned with spirituall meanes, they may be good; & without them they will not preuaile, because they want the help of prayer and fasting. It were too great security to rest in the ordinary meanes of defēce, as of wisdome, policie, multitude of armes, furniture of weapons, &c. and to boast in these, because God resisteth the proud, & giueth grace to the humble. So thē the neglect of this exercise of humbling our selues will declare our securitie, & securitie sheweth our pride, & doth bewray our infidelity. Neither is ye end of praier or fasting, the neglect of ye ordinary meanes, but the pulling away of our confidence in them; that we might rest in the only power and goodnes of God. Which how necessarie a thing it is, plainely appeareth in the two great ouerthrowes which the Israelites had of the Beniamites, wheras they being more in number, better appointed in the defence of a good cause, were notwithstanding constrained twice to retire with great slaughter, vntill at the last by casting off all confidence in themselues, by prayer and fasting acknowledging themselues to be nothing, they obtained victorie. For then shall corporal means most preuaile, when all the spiritual, which God commandeth hauehave been truly vsed: And they are fittest to vse the outward meanes of defence, which hauehave learned to conuey their faith frō thē, by the publike exercises of humiliation, vntounto the promises of God. If with fasting and praier we can wrastle with the Archangell of God, then shall we neuer be afraid of Duke Esau nor all his Edomites; if we be Israelites to preuaile with God, we cannot be but Iacobs to preuaile with man. What should I say of our forefathers, which by this faith hauehave obtained their victories? The time wold be too long to tel of Gedeō, Baruch, Sampson, Iepthah, Dauid, Asa, Iehosaphat, Ezechia, who through faithH…b▪ 11. obtained the promises, subdued kingdomes, escaped the edge of the sword, of weake were made strong, waxed valiant in battel, turned to flight the armies of aliāts, of some of which it is pressed, that they did these things by faith, helped by prayer and fasting: and of the most part of the other it may bewel vnderstood. Seeing we are compassed about with suchNote. a cloud of witnesses, shal we be so bewitched as to dreame of the like victories without the like faith, or to imagine of the like faith, without vsing of the like meanes? But it may be some will obiect, that this exercise of humiliation weakeneth the hearts of true subiects, and incourageth the enemies: this was of old slanderously obiected to Ieremie by the vnbeleeuing and carnall Princes, who would yet seeme to be wise politikes. I hauehave heard indeed of the Arch▪atheist Machiauel▪ that writeth of the Religion of Christians, that it being practised in truth doth weaken their hands, making them cowards; and emboldeneth their enemies against thē (although there be no doubt many that think so) yet neuer hauehave I heard godly or wise men say so. Neither doth this kind of humiliatiō lift vp our enemies the Papists at home or abroad, but their owne proud hearts & malicious attempts against Gods people: by both which (seeing that pride will hauehave a fall, and before glorie goeth humility) we may assure vsus the rather of the victorie, hauing so many promises in Gods word for the same, confirmed with so many examples. In the stead of many in the Psal. 119. this promise shall suffice: They draw neere that follow after malice, and are farre from the law: thou Pride and malice in Papists.art neere, O Lord, for all thy words are true. The terrible iudgements of God against the pride of Moab and other Nations (who conspiring together against the people of God) at the last were made their owne executioners, and the great destruction of blasphemous Senacherib his hoste. Ezekiah king of Iudah being set free from the siege, both these being wrought by publike and priuate fasting, doe most euidently confirme the same: which examples may serue for vsus to look after others which are many in number. True it is indeed that the great security with the floods of our sinnes flowing ouer the banks in eueryevery place, hauehave hitherto reioyced our enemies heart; and if once they arme themselues with Gods wrath, (which the Lord turne away for Christs sake) then will they certainly fray vsus: which to preuent all meanes will not helpe vsus, vnlesse in fasting, weeping, and mourning we rent our hearts, though not our garments, vnfainedly acknowledging our sinnes, & trembling at his iudgement, that so we may turne vntounto God with our whole hearts by repentance, by faith, beleeuing him to be gratious and mercifull, slow to wrath, and of great goodnesse. And this doing, we may assure our selues, that the terrour of the Lord shall be stricken out of our hearts, and the spirit of gladnes and power shall bee powred vponupon vsus: and through faith helped by prayer and fasting, shall we doe valiantly. Thus the spirit of God moued Ioel the Prophet, to threaten the people of his time liuing vnderunder a prosperous Raigne: vntounto whom this obiection might as iustly hauehave been made, as against the exercise; and a great deale more, because his Fast was more general, his threatnings more fearefull, his descriptions of their dangers more terrible. Againe, some may obiect, that fasting is an exercise of sinners: what shall we say then? shall the hypocrisie of man make the appointment of God of none effect? yea, was it not therefore appointed, that he which commeth hither of custome, may yet goe away with conscience? may he not being reproued, and rebuked in his owne soule, and seeing his hypocrisie laid open, labour from thenceforth to approue himselfe, or at the least be without excuse against the day of the Lord. May there not be also at this exercise, some that come in trueth, and in the feare of God, whom God will accept? is it meet that these children of God should be bereft of the vse thereof, for the abuse of the wicked? Moreouer we are to be circumspect that we require not a daily fast? for as in PhysickeSimile. it is a thing most absurd to prescribe a continual vse of violent vacuation, & seldome of ordinarie foode: euen so it is as absurd diuinitie, to say, it is sufficient that preaching bee vsed at sundrie times, in sundrie places, and that fasting should be daily vsed: when as the ministerie of the word of God is as often to be vsed, as milke for babes to be nourished; or as meat for strong men to grow vp to the fulnes of the age of Christ: & fasting is to be admitted, but as letting of blood, or purging some corrupt humour, when some great cause vrgeth the same. We lament the want of diligent Preaching, which some without a continuall course wherof thinke to be sufficient: A Christian heart may appeale to Gods blessedDiligent and continuall preaching. 1. Tim. 4. 16. word, the true iudge of all them that are teachable, but the iudge of all, euen of the froward in the last day; yea, we may appeale to the great inquest of all Gods children which know their owne sinnes; yea to the experience of twentie * yeeres, which is a witnes so sufficient, that no exception can bee made against it whether to worke all and eueryevery point of thatThis was written, A…. Eliza▪ 2…. knowledge, with a care to practise it, in any sufficient measure, in al places, so few Sermons so little preaching in most places, be not very insufficiēt? The Law saith, that the mouthes of the Priests should alwaies keepe knowledge, both that they might teach the people by publike doctrine and exhortation; and that the people might require of them by priuate conference▪ The Prophets are commanded to crie and not to cease; and the Lord is saide by their Ministrie to rise vp earely, and to stretch forth his hand all the day long: and the Kingdome of God is like to the father of an house, that bringeth forth of his treasurie things new and old for the daily food of the family. What is this that eueryevery true Minister is charged with, as he wil answere it before the iudgement seate of Iesus Christ to preach the word in season and out of season? Surely once in a quarter, and once in a monethmonth, may soone seeme to be out of season, or scarse in season: But sure I am that twice on the Sabbath, (if Gods word be the iudge) can be termed no more but in season: and to preach longer and oftner on the fasting dayes, may not be called in the Apostle his sense, out of season. Now to fast eueryevery day were more than the Pharisies did, who fasted but twice in the weeke: if we will be counted the sonnes of Patriarches and Prophets: and the disciples of the Apostles, to take that liberty of Gods creatures, that they did, why should we be burthened with the traditions of Esaues, Heremites and Heretikes? It is said of Basil the great, and Nazianzene the learned, that they vse thus to macerate their bodies with very often abstinence: but what followes after, they were made (as a great learned Censurer saith) vnprofitable to the Church, lying sicke sometimes halfe a yeere, sometimes an whole yeere. Why then should wee tempt God to lay an yoke vponupon the disciples necks, which neuer our fathers were able to beare? Seeing wee are dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world; why, as though wee were in the world, should wee bee burthened with traditions? as touch not, t…ste not, handle not, which all perish with vsing, and are after the commandement and doctrine of men; which things indeede hauehave a sh…we of wisedome, in voluntarie religion, and humilitie of minde, and n…t sparing the bodie, but are of no value, saue for the fulfilling of the flesh. Sobrietie.Moreouer wee must learne to make a difference betweene a temperate & moderate vse of Gods creatures (which we call sobrietie, and ought alwaies to appeare in the life of Christians) and an vtter abstinence from the vse of the creatures, called Fasting; which neither by Gods word ought, nor yet by naturall reason can be continually or daily. And here let vsus learne to auoide the extremities, & to keepe the meane in fasting, which master Bucer hath taught vsus, who saith that if we …schue not fasting at all, or fasting too much, wee shall fast aright. Call they this a fast, for a man to abstaine eueryevery day from a meales meate? to vse prayer at morning and at night, although that hee spend the most part of the day, and the whole night in the commodities, refreshings and pleasures of this life? this is no sound Diuinitie. The blessed Baptists course, and rusticall diet of locusts and wilde hony, which he vsed according to the nature of the barren and wilde soile wherein hee liued, maketh nothing for this purpose, vnlesse those that will hauehave it vsed, put on also the Camels hayte… His disciples which foolishly followed him without a warrant of that (which he did vponupon good ground) are said to fast, not eueryevery day, but oftentimes.
The hyperbolicall phrases of praying and fasting, and of the continuall abode day and night in the Temple of the ancient Anna, a widowe of fourescore and foure yeeres, liuing in contemplation, will not serue to proue, that a daily exercise of fasting shouldWho fit to fast often. bee vsed of married folkes, and others that leade a life actiue, either ciuill or ecclesi…sticall, who for their yeeres may endure the traueiles of their minde and bodie, and by their calling are bound sixe dayes in the weeke, without some speciall occasion to follow the workes of the same, and on the seuenth day to celebrate a feast vntounto the Lord, and not a fast with the Maniche…s. Thus the most excellent seruants of God, Dauid, Daniel, and Paul are most notably commended vntounto vsus for their holy exercises of prayer, and fasting: whereof one (as we read) they vsed daily and according to their ordinarie wants: the other vponupon speciall and extraordinarie needes, which God did presse them with. These examples are wee bound to followe, so farre forth as they followed Christ, who although hee fasted (no doubt) verie manie times, yet notwithstanding his life was so farre from a daily fast, that it was thought a continuall feaste. Indeede the Popish fast may well enough, and without danger to the bodie bee continually and daily vsed, and yet many wayes dangerous and hurtfull to the soule; but other fasting being daily vsed, would bee both hurtfull to the bodie, in puffing it vp with windes, and filling it vp with corrupt humours, and also to the soule in that pride would bee ingendred and noisome opinions also nourished in it. A true fast requireth not an emptinesse of the bellie onelie, because the kingdome of heauen is neither in meate nor drinke, and that if wee eate wee are not the worse, and if we eate not we are not the better, and seeing the bodily exercise profiteth little, yea oftentimes hurteth much more in puffing vp the minde, than it can doe good in pulling it downe: wee must as much, and as carefully vse the word, and prayer, and other holy exercises, publike and priuate for the increase of spirituall things, as we vse abstinence from naturall, adding so many meanes to the inward man as we take from the outward: that wee may not onelyonly humble our selues in body, but in both together, that we waite on Gods good time to receiue from him cō fort to our spirites, as wee looke and make account shortly to take sustenance for our bodies. Besides, the true fast requireth vsus to rest from our ordinarie profits and pleasures, and if it be publike to heare also two, three, or foure Sermons in one day with long and feruent prayer; and serious meditation before, in the midst and after these exercises, reuerent reading of the Scriptures, of singing of Psalmes ioyned with fasting, as it is perfectly taught in the perfect vse and true ende of this exercise. The Prophets Isaiah and Ioel thought it not enough to exhort the people to true repētance, but called also for the publike exercise of the same, which doctrine of the Prophets is sealed by Nehemiah and Ezrah, and the rest of the people, who notwithstanding had their notable profiting in the knowledge of the lawe, yet seeing the secret threatnings of the Lord against their spirituall euils, added this meane of a fast beyond the ordinarie vse of the word, leauing an example to the Church for her instruction in all ages. Were we as sharpe sighted, as tender conscienced as they, we might discerne greater iudgements threatned of the Lord against vsus, and feele more spiritual euils in our selues than euer they did: for to let passe that great plague of the Lord vponupon our times, as the Ministerie so ignorant and dissolute, such sacriledge by impropriations, and irreligious Patrons which are not all this while amended; the carnall life of Protestants, the stifnesse of Papists which cannot thus long be conuerted, the dangerous dissembling of Atheists and Machiauelists in the Church and cōmonwealth: the long bitter contentions of the true professours, besides many moe euils not to be spoken; and many knowne and professed euils in these dayes, against which hitherto neither lawe hath been established, nor the preaching preuailed: and wee forget our brethrens calamitie in the persecuted Churches, with whom we hauehave thus long, and still doe forget to mourne. Hath not the Lord himselfe blowne a Trumpet to our Fasts? let then those which are the Ministers of the Lord be continually exhorting hereunto. God graunt them to rebuke sinne, to threaten the law, moue Repentance, and to vrge Fasting.