The Holy Exercise of Fasting, Table of contents
THE GENERAL Contents of the whole booke, which may ſerue for an alphabeticall table, to finde out eueryevery thing handled in the ſame.
Page, 1.
The 1. Homilie Sheweth, that the exerciſe of faſting is not an humane conſtitution, but an ordinance of God, approoued in the old and new Teſtament, and ſo how God requireth it of vsus at this preſent, and for what cauſes.
Pag. 26.
The 2. Homilie Sheweth, what are the parts whereof this faſting conſiſteth, and firſt, which be outward belonging to the bodie, and to what ende they ſerue, as to abſtaine wholly for a time from all kinde of meate and drinke, and ſleepe, and coſtly apparell, and ſuch like comforts of the bodie: and yet what libertie we hauehave then in all theſe in times of neceſſitie.
Page. 58.
The 3. Homilie Intreateth of the inward vertues of the minde to be attained vntounto, & profeſſed in faſting; without the which the outward abſtinence is nothing worth: namely of true humilitie and caſting downe of our ſelues before God, and wherein that conſiſteth, and how neceſſary it is, and by what meanes we may attaine vntounto it.
Page. 94.
The 4. Homilie Continueth to intreat of the inward vertues of the minde; and namely of the hope that we ſ…oul… hauehave of the pardon of our ſinnes, vponupon our true repentance: and that God will giuegive vsus the things that we ſeeke to him for: which hope muſt stirre vsus vp to feruent and long prayer, and how by importunitie we ſhall preuaile with God; & what things els may quicken vsus vntounto feruent prayer.
Page, 133.
The 5. Homilie Doth further intreat of feruency of praier requiſite in faſting: and to the end we may conſider, what great things God hath promiſed to faſting and prayer; and how he hath performed the ſame, not only to the godly, but euen to the wicked, who hauehave therby obtained great deliuerances: yea how men by humble ſupplication hauehave preuailed with men, euen with their enemies.
Page, 168.
The 6 Homilie Sheweth what is the proper time for faſting, namely, the time of affliction and ſorow: & then how God requireth it, and his ſeruants hauehave practiſed it; and ſo how the Lord requireth it of vsus in this time of our ſorrow, and how long the time of a faſt ſhould continue: and how the ſame time ſhould be ſpent.
Page, 208.
The 7. Homilie Intreateth of the ſeuerall kindes or ſorts of faſts, whereof the one is priuate, and the other publike: and first of priuate faſtings, and how to behaue our ſelues in them: and how they ought to be intertained into mens houſes: and for what cauſes; and what great good may come thereby: and what liberty the Gouernors hauehave in appointing of them aboue all the reſt of the familie.
Page, 253.
The 8. Homilie Intreateth of the ſecond kind of faſts, which are publike: and why ſo called: and how all ſorts ought to come to them: and what a great fault it is for any to be abſent: And then of the cauſe of them, which is the wrath of God againſt his Church: either preſent, as it is now vponupon vsus: or likely to come: which the godly hauehave conſidered in the courſe of Gods prouidence, and ſo hauehave ſought by faſting and praier to preuent it, and not alwaies taried till it came vponupon them.
Page. 200.
The 9. 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 hauehave abounded and of the iudgement of God, denounced againſt the ſame openly by the miniſters of God. And when Gods wrath hath not only beene vponupon themſelues, but vponupon others of their brethren, the children of God.
Pag. 353.
A direction for Prayer: Fit and conuenient for all thoſe, that being ignorant or vnacquainted with priuate prayer, are deſirous to pray by themſelues.