The Holy Exercise of Fasting, Sermon 1
HOMIL. I.
The firſt Homilie ſheweth, that the exerciſe of fasting is not an humane conſtitution, but an ordinance of God, approoued in the old and newe Teſtament, and ſo how God requireth it of vsus at this preſent, and for what cauſes.
RIght wel-beloued in the Lord, whereas we hauehave beene of late commanded by the Kings moſt excellent Maieſty, and that not without iuſt cauſe, to meete once a weeke vponupon the Wedneſday,The occaſio… of this Treatiſe. to be occupied in faſting and praier: becauſe that the thing it ſelfe hath beene ſo long out of vſe, that a great number hauehave little or not at all practiſed it, yea they hauehave not ſo much as beene acquainted with the doctrine of it, and ſo do almoſt not know, what it meaneth: I thought it my bound dutie firſt of all to God, and then to you (committed to my charge) in one part of the day at the leaſt (during this time of faſting) to intreat of the thing it ſelfe, that ſo you might know how to behaue your ſelues in it, and the longer that we ſhall continew it, (as hauing more knowledge of it) to be the better prepared for it.
Heere then firſt of all that we might doe this that we doe, not onelyonly in obedience to our Lord and King, but eſpecially & moſt of all in faith, vntounto God, without which nothing (yea though it be good) can pleaſe him, as the apoſtle ſaith,…eb. 11.6. …ſting is …t deuiſed … man, but mmanded … God. we muſt be perſwaded, that this order of faſting is not a thing deuiſed by man: but appointed of God, and commanded in his holy word: and therefore that which he doth neceſſarily require at the hands not onelyonly of others, but euen of our ſelues. And this we had need to be perſwaded of the rather, becauſe that ſome neuer thinke themſelues bounde vntounto it, and ſo make no difference of times either for faſting or for feaſting, but (if they hauehave wherewithall) all times are alike vntounto them for eating, or not eating. But Solomon the wiſe ſheweth,Eccl. 3.1. that to all things there is an appointed time, and a time to euerie purpoſe vnderunder the heauen, and ſo there is a time, wherein we are as well commanded to faſt, as we hauehave liberty to feaſt: and therefore as Eſra and the Leuites would not hauehave the people to faſt & weepe then,Nehem. 8.10.11. but rather to eate and reioice when it was a time of ioy: So the Prophet Eſay findeth fault with ſome of his time,Eſay 22.12.13. who when the Lord called them by his worde and puniſhments vntounto faſting, they fell to feaſting, and ſo there was (as he ſaid) killing of ſheepe, and oxen, eating and drinking. And ſo neither of them knew what was fit for their ſeuerall times: we muſt therefore be perſwaded, that as there are times, in which God of his great mercy giueth vsus liberty to feaſt, and to vſe his creatures, not onelyonly for neceſſitie ſparingly, but for delight abundantly, as at marriages and other times of reioicing: ſo there is a time alſo, when he would hauehave vsus not onelyonly eate temperately, (which we muſt doe alwaies, euen at feaſts, that wee fall not to ſurfiting and drunkenneſſe, but euen to abſteine wholly from meat and drink, and all other comforts of this life, to thoſe bleſſed endes, for which he hath ordained it.
…he Iewes …d a ſtan…ng faſt …erely. …eu. 16.29.To this end wee may remember, what is written concerning faſting in the booke of Leuiticus, and namely how there it is ſaid, that the Lord commaunded the Iewes once a yeere, that eueryevery ſoule ſhould humble it ſelfe with faſting before the Lorde in one of the great aſſemblies: where Moſes ſheweth or rather the Lord by him, that this faſt ſhould be kept perpetually once a yeere, and in what monethmonth, and what day of the monethmonth, and to what end, namely to humble themſelues for their ſinnes, and therefore what muſt then be done, viz. that they muſt abſtaine from all worke and worldly buſineſſe, and be occupied in all exerciſe of Gods worſhip, as vponupon the Sabbath day, and that the Prieſt ſhould make attonement by praier to obtaine remiſſion of their ſinnes. And the ſame commandement is ſet downe againe in as many wordes in the 23.Leu. 23.2 chapter of the ſame booke, where he ſheweth that all were bounde to it, and that they ſhould then lay aſide all their wordly buſineſſe, and hauehave an holy conuocation and therein hauehave ſacrifices and praier, that it might be a Sabbath vntounto them, as all faſtes are of the nature of the Sabbathes, ſauing that in them they abſtaine from meat, and then all things are done to an other end, euen that there might be great humiliation in them for their ſinnes, (which two are not ſo proper vntounto the Sabbath) and ſo vponupon their repentance God might be reconciled vntounto them, and ſpare them; which are moſt excellent ends of faſting, and a great fruit of that worke, which might prouoke all vntounto it, and none might repent them of their labour.
And in theſe places though there be no mention of abſteining from meate and drinke, and ſo they may ſeeme not to appertaine to this argument of faſting, yet beſides that all learned men doe thus take them, that this was a day of yeerely faſting, euen the verie circumſtance alſo of the text doth neceſſarily lead vsus vntounto this interpretation; for when he not onelyonly makes it a daie of abſtaining from al worke, and ſpending it wholly in Gods ſeruice publikely, but alſo that the end of it ſhould be, that they might be humbled for their ſins, & ſo reconciled vntounto God, & this humbling of their ſouls is principally vrged: and we know that the humbling of the body is a meanes to humble the ſoule, and the body is ſpecially humbled and brought downe by abſtaining from meate and drinke and other comforts of it: and beſides we finde by practiſe in the Scripture, that in other times of great humiliation, the ſeruants of God hauehave abſtained from theſe things; therefore wee may be aſſured that this is ment in theſe places, and that this was their practiſe, that vponupon this day they abſtaining from meat and drinke, did thus alſo ceaſe from worke, and were occupied in Gods worſhip to this end, euen to the humbling of themſelues before the Lord: and ſo this was the thing that was commaunded them yeerely to doe, euen to keepe a daie of faſt.
And there was great reaſon of it,There was great reaſ… of it. for in the yeere many great ſins might be committed of al ſorts, which might iuſtly prouoke Gods wrath againſt them, and ſo they had great cauſe to be humbled for them: and once in the yeere God might ſhew ſome tokens of his diſpleaſure, in ſome of his puniſhments, as by raiſing vp ſome enemies againſt them, by ſending ſicknes, ſcarcitie, vnſeaſonable weather and ſuch like; therefore they might thinke that once in the yeere at the leaſt, there was cauſe for them thus to humble themſelues, eſpecially when God had cōmanded them ſo to do. For though they ſhould thus humble themſelues continually for their ſinnes, as they ſell out, yet to helpe their i…fi…mitie …hey had a ſet time appointed for it, … doe it more thorowly. For as the… … Sabbath giuen them, that … a weeke they might wholly … …om their labors, and attend vponupon the worſhip of God for their good; t…ough they ſhould eueryevery day redee…e the time, and as they had their daily ſacrifices morning and euening, and ſo times for praier. So heere though all ſhould continually be humbled for their ſinnes priuate, and mourne for them that were publike, when they ſaw any tokens of Gods diſpleaſure; yet to helpe their infirmitie heerein, they had a ſolemne day appointed for this purpoſe, that the time it ſelfe might not onelyonly put them in minde of that, which otherwiſe would hauehave beene forgotten of the moſt, or not ſo ſeriouſly thought vponupon: but alſo further them therein. And as we finde by experience how needful it is to hauehave a Sabbath to put vsus in minde of, and to further vsus in Gods ſeruice: (for how few doe it at all, or as they ſhould vponupon the weeke daies; and then what would they doe, if there were no Sabbath at all.) So the godly no doubt in thoſe daies did finde by their owne experience, that though they had oftentimes cauſe in reſpect of their ſinnes, and the puniſhment of them to faſt publikely and priuately, yet if they had had no ſet time appointed for it, they ſhould verie often hauehave failed in ſo neceſſarie a dutie: euen as we ſee among our ſelues, that becauſe we hauehave no ſuch times appointed for vsus, that verie few though they hauehave great cauſe, do practiſe it at any time. Therefore this was Gods goodneſſe to that people, to giuegive them ſuch a commandement.
How farre he equity f that law …indeth vsus.Now though the ceremony of the yeerely day be taken away, as many other ſolemne daies of theirs are yet the thing it ſelfe, that is Faſting, is not taken away: for though we be not tied to that yeerly day, yet we are bound at ſomtimes to faſt, and that by vertue of that cōmandement 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 vsus as much as them; and ſo we hauing the ſame cauſe among vsus, which mooued the Lord to inioine them this practiſe, muſt thinke, that we hauehave 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 vponupon them alreadie, or appearing & imminent, might be turned away, and ſo they reconciled vntounto God, and ſpared: we hauehave the ſame cauſe to bee humbled manie waies, eſpecially at this preſent, and ſo now God commandeth vsus 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 i… reſpect of th… death of ou… 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 vnderunder his gouernment, ſaying,…. Sam. 1.4. Ye daughters of Iſrael weepe for Saul, which clothed you in ſcarlet and with pleaſures, and hanged ornaments of golde vponupon your apparell: then we much more hauehave 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 hauehave wee to be humbled. For when many great benefits come heaped vp one after another, and no meaſure of true thankfulneſſe and obedience anſwerable vntounto 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 vsus, and ſo driue vsus to ſhew it in faſting and prayer, that God might forgiue vsus, and ſo ſtill continue his benefts.
Beſides this, if they vponupon 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 hauehave more and greater benefits (for his Word in the miniſtery of the Goſpel is more cleerely come to vsus, and this time hath many things which the time of the Law had not) then ſeeing to whom much is giuen,…uke 12.48. of them much is required: we hauing receiued ſo much in compariſon of them, and done ſo little for it, hauehave 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 onelyonly to be feared, but alreadie vponupon vsus. For though God hath giuen vsus 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 vsus; in his preſeruation conſiſteth all our good; in his death the loſſe of vsus 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 hauehave, we ſhould come vnderunder the popiſh and Spaniſh yoke, either of which were intolerable, as our forefathers hauehave learned by too lamentable experience: therefore in reſpect of this alſo we hauehave cauſe to be humbled, and ſo to faſt, both to bring vsus 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 hauehave died 2000. this laſt weeke and more; and truly this is much, conſidering, how many hauehave remooued out of this citie, and how many hauehave 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 vponupon vsus yet,…om. 12.5.16. yet theſe are our brethren, and therefore as the Apoſtle ſaith) we ſhould be of like affectiō one towards another,Luk. 13 and ſo ready to weepe with them that weepe. Beſides, as our Sauiour Chriſt ſaith of them, vponupon 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 hauehave 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 hauehave deſerued, and ſo for our owne ſelues to be humbled alſo: conſidering that this puniſhment of God vponupon them for their ſinnes, (deſerued alſo by vsus) is contagious, and ſo may eaſely ſpread euen vntounto vsus quickly, by them that come from the places infected, as thus it hath come to manie places a farre off already. Therefore in reſpect of all theſe we are bounde by Gods law to giuegive our ſelues to faſting and praier: as well as the Iewes were, though we be not tied to that monethmonth and to that daie.
…ugh the …moniall … of the …es faſt …broga…, yet fa…g remai… ſtill.For euen as, though the Iewiſh Sabbath be taken away, which was vponupon the Satterday, yet whether wee conſider the end of faſting, or of ſanctifying a day of reſt, we are ſtil bound to keepe one in ſeuen, and this one that we doe, and wee hauehave as much need of it, as the Iewes had: ſo we may ſay of the day of faſting, though that preſcript day be taken away, yet if we conſider the endes and cauſes of it, namely to humble vsus for our ſinnes, we are bounde to it ſtill vponupon ſome daies, and hauehave as much need of it as euer they had: Therefore we muſt be perſwaded, that now God doth require it of vsus, and not onelyonly the king, and ſo let vsus doe it in obedience vntounto him principally, and conſcience of our dutie.
Thus we ſee alſo, what we ought to hauehave done, and what God required of vsus often heeretofore, though we hauehave neglected it; when wee hauehave ſeene ſin abound, threatning Gods iudgement, yea when wee hauehave ſeene and felt his puniſhment vponupon vsus, in vnſeaſonable weather, in ſcarcitie and deere yeeres, in the time of common ſickneſſe, in the feare of our enemies, in traitors at home, and ſuch like: which if we had vſed more, as we had occaſion, and the time called vsus vntounto it, we might hauehave looked for greater bleſſings, and many puniſhments had not lien ſo lo…g vponupon the people. But that that we ha…e failed in before, let vsus now make a ſupply of: and to that end let vsus farther conſider, what proofe we hauehave more, that God requireth it of vsus.
If this yeerely day vponupon theſe grounds, that we hauehave heard, be not ſufficient to bind vsus, then let vsus remē ber, that beſides it, they had other mooueable & vncertaine faſtes,The Iewes had other mooueable fasts vponupon ſundry occaſions. which were holden at diuers times vponupon ſundrie occaſions: that we ſeeing how we hauehave the like occaſions among vsus, might knowe, that wee ha…e the like commandement from God to doe, as they did, and ſo ſhould fall into the like practiſe, and not to thinke it to be a thing commanded onelyonly by man, and ſo indifferent, and therefore that a man may chooſe, whether he will vſe it, or leaue it. To this end conſider, what is written by the Prophet Ioel, cap. 2.…el. 2.12. Therefore now the Lorde ſaith, turne you vntounto me with all your heart, a… with faſting, and with weeping, …d with mourning: where he telleth them plainely, that at that very time God commanded them to faſt: in the former part of that Chapter hee had put them in minde of a great puniſhment of God, that was vponupon the fruits of the earth by caterpillers and ſuch like vermine, and then ſheweth them, what God required of them in ſuch a caſe, as the onelyonly remedie, euen to humble themſelues for their ſinnes the cauſe of it, and to ſeeke to him with faſting and praier,…mmanded y the Lord. and therefore ſaith, that God commanded them ſo to do: If then this was done by the commandement of God vponupon ſuch an occaſion, then may wee be aſſured alſo, that other publike faſts, that we reade of in the Scriptures vponupon the like occaſions, had the like commandement from God, though it bee not in expreſſe wordes ſo ſet downe: For if when the fruits of the earth were deſtroied, he commandeth them in the name of God to faſt, as the onelyonly remedie to be holpen: then may we be aſſured, that we are commanded not onelyonly by the king, which is ſufficient to binde all men, but by God himſelfe to doe as we doe, when not the fruits of the earth ſo much, as men for whom they were made,By the ſa… reaſon G… comman… vsus to fas… this preſe… 2 Sam. 1. by this peſtilence and hand of God are deſtroied in great number.
Thus Dauid by the wiſedome of gods ſpirit according to the equitie of his law, did ſee, that he had great cauſe to faſt, when he heard of the ouerthrow that the Iſraelites had by the Philiſtims, and ſo himſelfe and his companie did faſt for that great loſſe: accounting as it is written: They mourned, and wept, and faſted vntill euen for Saule, and for Ionathan his ſonne, and for the people of the Lord, and for the houſe of Iſrael, becauſe they were ſlaine with the ſword: if he ſaw that God required it of him, when the people were ſlaine by men, then ought we to beleeue that he requireth it of vsus alſo, when ſo manie are ſlaine by his owne hande, and he hath not yet ceaſed, but his arme is ſtretched out ſtill, as the Prophet ſaith. In like maner Iehoſaphat the king of Iudah,9.12.21. when the Ammonites and the Moabites, and they of mount Seir came againſt him, and his people, he being but in feare of ſome deſtruction, proclaimed a generall faſt, & by praier ſought vntounto the Lorde, and thought it his bounde dutie to doe ſo, as it is ſaide.…hr. 20.3 Hee feared, and ſet himſelfe to ſeeke the Lord, and proclaimed a faſt throughout all Iudah: then we much more hauehave good cauſe to doe, as wee doe, and this faſt, that is now euerie where obſerued by publike authoritie, is done vponupon good ground, euen by the commandement of almightie God. When beſides the iuſt cauſe to feare for the time to come, we heare of ſo great deſtruction in many places alreadie. The like may be ſaid of all other faſtes obſerued in Gods worde, namely, that they hauehave bene taken vp, not as a voluntarie or wil-worſhip, that it ſhould be ſaide of them,Iſa. 1.12. who hath required theſe things at your hands? but as a neceſſarie obedience vntounto the commandement of God, though not giuen vntounto them in expreſſe words, yet neceſſarily gathered frō the equitie of his law.Heſt. 4.1… As alſo in the daies of Heſter, when Haman the Iewes aduerſarie ſought their ruine and ouerthrow, they to preuent it, ſought to humble themſelues before God for their ſinnes, and therefore gaue themſelues to faſting; (as God requireth in ſuch caſes, both that therby we might be humbled, and alſo that it might appeare, that we were ſo indeed:) and this they did, becauſe the caſe was very extraordinarie, when the deſtruction of the whole church of God was ſought at once: So we may thinke that in ſo great calamity as this, not in one, but in many places, and ſo not in one but in many partes of the Church of God, God requireth of vsus, that we ſhould humble our ſelues in faſting, ſome one day, or other.
Laſt of all, that we might be perſuaded that God requireth faſting of vsus as well as of our forefathers,…ing is …anded ell in …ime of Goſpell … the …. of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes, vnderunder the Goſpell as well as in the time of the Law: we ſhall ſee that it hath warrant in ſuch caſes as theſe, as well from the New Teſtament as from the Olde. As when Chriſt was challenged for this,…5.33. That his Diſciples did not faſt, though Iohn and his Diſciples did often: hee doth ſo defend them, that he doth not wholly put it away from them, as though they were not bound to it in the time of the Goſpell; but ſheweth, that as yet they were diſpenſed with, becauſe Chriſt Ieſus the bridegroome was with them, and ſo it was a time of ioy; but the time ſhould come, when he ſhould be taken from them, & great affliction ſhould befall them, then hee requireth faſting of them, ſaying, The dayes wil come,Luk. 5.35 when the bridegrome ſhalbe taken from them, then ſhal they faſt in thoſe daies: commanding them and all other, euen vnderunder the Goſpell in the time of great affliction to faſt. This time of the Peſtilence is a time of great ſorrow, & of great affliction, therefore now by the Olde and New Teſtament wee are bound to it. And ſo this may be ſufficient to certifie the conſciences of all (that are not euill diſpoſed) That to ſerue God in faſting and prayer is a thing that he requireth of vsus: and ſo if there were no commandement from men to inioyne vsus, yet the authoritie of his Word in the Olde and New Teſtament, and the practiſes of his ſeruants vponupon the ſame ground ſhould compell vsus vntounto it.