The Light of Faith, Part 2 · Section 13 – Section 14
§. XIII. The Sixt, Faſting.
THe next duety is religiousOf Faſting.▪ faſting: What this is; our age knoweth not almoſt to faſt, the poore either by their owne Idleneſſe, or by the rich men… vnmercifulneſſe are compelled: to faſt religiouſly is our of vſe with poore and rich. Our Sauiour often ſtiled the Iewes, this euill and adulterous generation, ſure now would he adde concerning vsus, this euill, adulterous, drunken and gluttonous generation. We feaſt oft, but not to God; we faſt neuer but when riot firſt hath aſſubiected vsus to the preſcript of the Phyſitian. Thus it is come to paſſe that firſt we neede ſome direct proofe of the neceſſity, & large Encomium, of the profitable vſe of faſting, before we gaue directions for the right manner of performance. The former is not my particuler ayme, yet receiue this in briefe.
1 That Chriſtians owe this as a duty Matth. 6. 16. Mat. 9. 14. 1 Cor. 7. 5.
2 And this duty is then to be performed, when
1 Wee vndertake warre, 2 Chro. 20. 3. 4. the example of Iehoſhaphat:
2 Or eminent iudgements are begunne or ready to fall on vsus 1 Sam. 7. 6. 2 Sam. 12. 1 Chro. 21. 16. 1 Sam. 31. vlt. be they publike or priuate.
3 Or greiuous ſinnes are ſcand…louſly committed Lev. 23 28. Whether our owne or the ſinnes of-the times. Ezra. 10. 6 1 Sam. 7. 6.
4 Or the Afflictions of Gods people by enemies are vponupon them or decreed againſt them. Neh. 1. 4. Heſt. 4.
5 Or the accompliſhment of ſome remarkeable promiſe is expected to bee fulfilled to the Church Dan. 9. 1.
6 Or iudgements are threatned by Gods Miniſters according to a wiſe parallel of neuerfailing truth in Scripture, and ruine-threatning ſinnes in a common-wealth. Ion. 3. 5. 1 King. 21.
7 Or ſome are deſigned to ſome great functions in Church or common-wealth Act. 13. 4.
8 Or in caſe of ſpirituall deſertions, when the bridegrome is gone, then is it time to mourne and faſt in thoſe dayes. Matth. 9. 14.
Theſe are the ſeaſons of this duty, when the Lord calls to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldneſſe, and to girding with ſackcloth. Let not that be verified any longer vponupon vsus, that it ſhould be ſaid, and In that day behold ioy and gladneſſe, ſlaying Oxen, and killing ſheepe, eating fleſh and drinking wine; let vsus eat and drinke, to morrow we ſhall dye: then wee may feare leſt that follow in the euent, which followeth in the Propheſie; And it was reuealed is mine eares by the Lord of hoſts, ſurely this iniquity ſhall not be purged from you till you dye, ſaith the Lord God of hosts. Eſa. 22. 13. 14.
3 Now for the prayſe of this holy Action, the ſaying of Ambroſe ſhall ſuffice, in his booke De Helia et Ieiunio. c. 8.
Ieiunium continentiae magiſterium eſt, pudicitiae diſcipli…a, humilitas m…ntis caſtigatio carnis, forma ſobrietatis, norma virtutis, purificatio anim…, miſerationis expenſa, lenitatis inſtitutio, charitatis illecebra, ſenilis gratia, cuſtodi… i…uentutis: Ieiunium et alleuamentum infirmitatis, alimentum ſalutis.
Faſting is the chiefe rule of continence, the diſcipline of ſhamefaſtneſſe, the lowlineſſe of the minde, the chaſtiſing of the fleſh, the forme of ſobriety, the ſquare of vertue, the purifying of the ſoule, the coſt of … paſſion, the inſtruction of gentleneſſe, the allurement of charity, the grace of age, the cuſtody of youth, the lightening of infirmity, the food of health.
But rules for the right diſcharge of this worke is that agreeth to my purpoſe, and here all ſhall be cleare if this diſtinction be premiſed.
A faſt religious is either publike or priuate, the publike is that which is appointed by the ciuill Magiſtrate and by the Church on great, weighty and publike occaſions and obſerued by many families aſſembling in one or many congregations: we hauehave no wa…rant for ſuch aſſemblies but with the leaue & commande of our gouernors. Ioel 3. 7. 8. 2 Chro. 20. 3. the priuate is ſuch as is taken on right grounds mouing thereto either by one man alone, or by a priuate familie, Heſt. 4. 16. Mat. 6. 17. 18. for priuate faſts to be kept by more families of Chriſtians, Scripture knoweth not, nor alloweth: If our gouernors ſee not the occaſions, or hid their eyes from the neceſſity of the duty when God calls for it, priuate men and families apart may mourne, and mourne for this iudgement in the midſt of iudgements, and if God call them at any time that by vertue of their places they may ſpeake, they ought modeſtly to intimate the neceſſity, humbly craue the proclaiming of it, freely rebuke the …ayling. Be not leſſe carefull but better aduiſed to take vp this duty as God commandeth.
And for religious faſting, be it Publike or priuate, be it thus ordered,
1 Let there bee abſtinence from all the neceſſaries; much more, delights of this life for a …ay at the le…ſt, as from food, and ſleepe 2 Sam. 12. 16. 20. Ornaments Exod. 34. 4. 5. Matrimonial beneuolence … Cor. 7. 5. Ioel. 2. 16. and workes of our calling that it be a Sabbath for reſt Lev. 23. 32. delights of life Dan. 10. 3. recreations. Eſa. 58. and workes of gaine, in all theſe vſe ſuch abſtinence as may afflict the body, Lev. 23. 30. but yet with theſe two caueats:
1 That the fleſh bee tamed by our abſtinence, not killed or diſabled for God… ſeruice.
2 That we do not theſe to be ſeene of men, Mat. 6 16. 17. in a priuate faſt eſchewing wholly the ſhew, in a publike, not performing to the ſhew, or to this end that we might be ſeene.
2 Let the time bee ſpent in religious duties, eſpecially in humbling the ſoule for ſinne, Ioel 2. 12. 13. Pſal. 69. 10. I humbled my ſoule with fasting: for thus religious faſting is differenced from all other, by the end for which we abſtaine viz to ſtir vp our zeale in prayer, to confirme our attention in meditation, to manifeſt our grief for diſpleaſing God, and to take ſpirituall reueng vponupon our ſelues for offending.
3 There muſt bee a r…linquiſhing and breaking off of our former ſinnes, eſpecially of vnrighteouſneſſe and oppreſſion of others, Eſa 58. 6.
Such is the faſt which the Lord hath choſen, when thus we cry, hee will ſay, here I am, his worke alſo ſhall be as forward as his word, for then ſhall our light breake forth as the morning, and our health ſhall ſp…ing forth ſpeedily; our righteouſneſſe ſhall goe before vsus, and the glory of the Lord ſhall bee our rereward to gather vsus vp.
§. XIIII. The ſeuenth, ſinging of Pſalmes.
FOr the right manner of ſingingOf ſinging of Pſalmes of Pſalmes, the approued mirth of a true Chriſtian, Iam. 5. 13. The Apoſtle giueth rules in two places to the ſame effect, Epheſ. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16.
1 Wee muſt make vſe to our inſtruction, and mutuall edification of the matter con…eiued in the Pſalmes, hymnes, and ſpirituall ſongs we ſing; remembring theſe ſongs are Gods ſtatutes, Pſal. 119. 54.
2 Wee muſt ſing with the heart; 1. both with the vnderſtanding, and with the affections lifted vp as well as with the voice, Pſal. 25. 1.
3 With grace in the heart, 1. imploying the graces of Gods ſpirit, as our faith, hope, delight in Gods louelove, &c.
4 Our melody muſt be directed to the Lord and his glory, not vſed as a ciuill employment, but as Gods ſeruice, nor as a meane to cleare the pipes, and preſerue bodily health, but as a meanes to cleare the ſoule of obſtructiue humours, and promote our eternall ſaluation.