Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Of the exercises of religion, fasting, &c. and of the carefull vse of the meanes at all times.
WE must not tarie to fast vntill the trumpet be blowne, and the bell be rung:He meanes for religious fasts: & not gainsaying any thing the ciuill fasts commanded by law for nauigation sake but we must fall downe at the trumpet of Gods word, and at the bel of our guiltie conscience: for without this priuate exercise we are but hypocrites in publike fasts.
2 Our holy daies may be the fittest & most conueniēt times for fasting daies: because wee may then best redeeme the time in resting from our calling.
3 All our exercises in godlinesse must principally respect two things: first, Gods glorie: secondly, our edification and increase of faith and repentance: otherwise to our selues they are vaine and fruitlesse.
4 Albeit the Lord hath appointed ordinarie causes, yet hee hath reserued in his owne soueraigne and iurisdiction, the staffe of them, the vertue, infusion, and working of them. For as the Physition prescribing a medicine made with wine, it is not the bare wine which nourisheth, though it be the instrument to conuey the more principall thing vntounto vsus, but it is the thing steeped in the wine that worketh: so although we hauehave things ministred vntounto vsus by the best meanes, vnlesse the Lord put in his staffe, all is vaine. For as we may seeSimile. some fed with cordiall and nutritiue meates, notwithstanding labour of a consumption: soMeanes. wee shall see others sed with water-grewell, and yet to bee very well nourished. On this manner God worketh with the meanes, and thus hee can worke without the meanes: because the Lord would shew that he reserueth a power beyond meanes. Although he established all things in a mutuall course, yet he brought forth eueryevery thing without meanes: so the light was created the first day, the Sunne the fourth day. Men seeing their corne not to grow, crie for raine, but hearbes and fruits grew before raine. True it is that we looke for things ordinarily now by meanes, but they began without meanes: as God making manThe apish imitation of poperie in the coniuring of holy water with salt is ridiculous. at the first without seede, now will increase them by seede, his blessing being with his ordinance, and not else. But behold a further thing, God worketh not onelyonly by meanes and without meanes, but also contrary to all meanes. Christ when hee would restore sight to the blind man, doth it with that meanes which (we thinke) would put out a mans eyes, and blind the sight of him that can see: whereby hee sheweth that euen contrary things obey him. Eliah 1. King. 4. to make salt water sweete, putteth salt into them. Such is the power of our God, who bringeth light out of darknes, which is the destruction of the light.Vse the exercises of religion for spirituall cofort. &c not for ostentation, &c.
5 As naturall men vse Gods creatures to stirre vp a naturall comfort: so spirituall men must vse spirituall meanes for spiritual comfort. For all things which hauehave a singular good vse, may hauehave a singular abuse: wherefore wee must vse sanctified things with sanctified hearts, least abusing holy things, we be giuen ouer to a vaine minde.
6 When the Lord will hauehave a thing come to passe, hee will also graunt the meanes: so when the Lord will make his people gracious, hee will giuegive them good Ministers and wise Magistrates, and so make them to be feared of their enemies. Againe, when the Lord will make a people odious, hee will powre contempt vponupon Princes, and take wisedome away from the Ministers. Where we see what neede wee hauehave to pray for our Ministers and Magistrates. Againe, wee see that if wee would be gracious and in fauour with any, wee must looke that we hauehave such things in vsus as may procure their fauour: as when that Timothy was exhorted to be without blame, his vertues were rehearsed. For the graces of God must onelyonly make vsus gracious: but if we hauehave not receiued them, no cause why we should be gracious.
7 What promise soeuer we hauehave of God, wee must wholy rest on that without distrust: and yet must we vse the lawfull meanes which he hath appointed, least we tempt him.
8 We must learne not to tempt God, for it is not of faith to omit any meanes, that mayTotēpt God in neglecting the vse of meanes. helpe vsus out of daunger, yet must we apply our meanes to God, and not put our trust in them, but in God: which wee may trie by this, if our hearts bee as carefull to feele the forgiuenes of sinnes, to heare the word, to vse prayer, Sacraments, and admonition, as wee b… to be deliuered from our troubles, then hauehave we a testimonie of a sound heart: but if we be carelesse of these, and yet in trouble will leaue no meanes vnattempted, then we may well iudge that our heart is more set on earthly than heauenly things, and wee bee as yet more carnall than spirituall.
9 If wee hauehave lawfull meanes to get our liuing wee must vse them; if we doe, and yet want, we must still depend on God. Likewise in sicknesse when we may vse the Physition it is well▪ but if he cannot be had, or if wee cannot recouer health by his meanes, then must we not despaire, but depend vponupon the Lord. So when the Lord giueth vsus his word, we may not looke for reuelations, but vse it while we hauehave it: but if the word bee taken away, then may we be wel assured, that he wil vse some meanes to instruct vsus. So not despayring when we hauehave not the meanes, and ascribing all honour to God when wee hauehave them (as Moses taught the Israelites) wee shall bee more readie to glorifie him in our suffering, being well assured that thus he deales with vsus, that he may more speedily and richly crown our sufferings. And thus doth our Sauiour Christ reason with Peter, when he drew his sword to defend Christ being but a priuate man, saying, Cannot my father send legions of Angels for my defence? as if hee said, vse no vnlawfull meanes to defend me: for if my father would that I should be deliuered from these, he would also send lawfull meanes to bring the same to passe: but seeing hee depriueth mee of all meanes, and doth not worke extraordinarily for my defence, it is his pleasure that I by suffering should worke your deliuerance: wherefore I am contented so to doe. In like manner did the three children answere the King: The Lord can aeliuer vsus, yet if he will not, we will suffer according to his pleasure. If we could exerciseA good meditation against impatience. our selues well in this and like good meditations, wee might be kept by Gods grace from murmuring, and laarne to rest patiently on the good will and pleasure of the Lord.
10 This is the way wee must vse in trouble: first to seeke counsell of God in his word, then to giuegive our selues to feruent prayer, and after to vse the meanes which God hath appointed, not trusting in them. This did Iacob when he was to pacifie his brother Esau at his returne, and thus did the Israelites at the red sea, they prayed and then they assayed to goe through the sea, and preuailed to the confusion of all their enemies.
11 We must vse the meanes, yet such as are most safe, and neerest hand, which if they will not preuaile, then may we goe yet further: but when we vse the meanes, then also we goe to the Lord, otherwise the Lord will infatuate vsus in the meanes, or make them vnprofitable; as in Asa, because he being sick, sought first to the Physitions, and not to the Lord, he dyed thereon. So we see in Iosiah, who though he were a good man, yet because he went to warre without the counsell of the Lord, was slaine in the same battell. So is it Iudg. 20. they which had a good cause, were twice ouercome in warre, because they sought not to the Lord, but when they sought to him by prayer,*Being truly hūbled in a religious fast then they ouercame. Contrarily wee see in Ezekiah and other Kings, that because they prayed to the Lord, and then sought other meanes, the Lord gaue them notable victories. Otherwise hee may depriue vsus of the knowledge of the meanes, or if we hauehave them, yet he will make them without fruite. First then we must preuaile with God by faith and praier, before that by meanes we can well preuaile against our enemies. Many wanting this good course, and trusting to their owne wits, and such like, hauehave failed of all their purposes. Wherefore when we hauehave vsed the meanes and be not helped, we must consider that we hauehave not vsed the right meanes; or if we had them, we hauehave vsed them amisse; or if we hauehave vsed them rightly, yet let vsus consider that our sinnes hauehave deserued that we should not profit by them.