A Demonstration of Family Duties, Proposition 40 – Proposition 41
XL. PROPOSITION. Moreover, it is not only lawfu… and expedient, but alſo uſef… and neceſſary, that the gove… nour of a family ſometimes, … extraordinary occaſions require and opportunities ſerve thereunto, do call for and crave th… company and aſſiſtance of ſom… godly brethren and Chriſtia… neighbours, for the more ſolemne performance of religion duties together.
PROOF. It having beene an uſuall coun… in the primitive Churches, planted by the Apoſtles in the pureſt times, that godly neighbours did come and meet together for their mutuall edification, as occaſion ſerved, but as it ſeemeth, being begunne to be neglected by ſome of thē; the Apoſtle Paul therefore endeavoureth to quicken and ſtirre them up againe thereunto, in that his moſt effectuall exhortation, Hebr. 10.24, 25. Let us conſider one another to provoke unto love, & to good works: Not forſaking the aſſembling of ourſelves together, as the maner of ſome is, but exhorting one another, and ſo much the more, as ye ſee the day approching. And this duty is implied alſo in an admonition given by the Apoſtle James, chap. 5. verſ. 16. Confeſſe your faults one to another, and pray one for another. For how could the duty of mutuall confeſſion, accompained with mutuall prayer, be performed, unleſſe there had beene a meeting together to ſuch end and purpoſe?
I. REAS. Becauſe it is lawfull and may be requiſite upon ſpeciall or extraordinary occaſion to invite and call friends and neighbours to rejoyce & feaſt together, as appeareth by that which is written of our Saviour Chriſt and his Diſciples, who being called to a mariage feaſt in Cana of Galilee, were preſent at it. See the hiſtory, John, 2.1, 2. And the third day there was a mariage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jeſus was there: A… both Jeſus was called, and his diſciples, to the … riage, &c. Therefore alſo upon ſpeciall … extraordinary occaſion, it is lawfull to in… Chriſtian friends and neighbours to … mournfully and to pray together: For th… is the ſame reaſon of contraries. This argument is excellently illuſtrated in that demand, and anſwer to it, propounded, Ma… 9. verſ. 15. Can the children of the bride chamber mourne, as long as the bride groome is with them? But the daies … come when the bridegroome ſhalbe tak… from them, and then ſhall they faſt. … that hence it followeth, that according … occaſion juſtly offered, as friends and neighbours may feaſt and rejoyce together; ſo likewiſe according to occaſion they may faſt … pray together. For it is a divine adviſe a… monition, Rom. 12.15. Rejoyce with them … rejoyce, and weepe with them that weepe.
II. REAS. Becauſe it may ſometime come to paſſe that one family is too little ſ… the performance of ſome kindes of religion ſervices to God. Thus God himſelfe … ſuppoſe and foreſee it might happen in the celebration of the Paſſeover, and therefore it was one of his ordinances in the inſtitution thereof, that there ſhould be ſome aſſiſtance accordingly. See Exod. 12. verſ. 4. And if the houſhold be too little for the lambe, let him and his neighbour next unto his houſe, take it according to the number of the ſoules: every man according to his eating ſhall make your count for the lambe. As it was in the Paſſeover, ſo on like occaſions it might be in other ſervices.
III. REAS. Becauſe God doeth graciouſly accept, and is very well pleaſed with all thoſe who doe apply themſelves, to edifie one another in the waies of godlineſſe; as it is moſt remarkably expreſſed, Malach. 3.16, 17. Then they that feared the Lord, ſpake often one to another, and the Lord hearkned and heard it, and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, & that thought upon his Name. And they ſhalbe mine, ſaith the Lord of hoſts, in the day when I make up my jewels, & I will ſpare them, as a man ſpareth his ſonne that ſerveth him. See alſo Math. 18.20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midſt of them; ſaith our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
I. OBSERV. The more weighty and extraordinary any imployment and ſervice for God is, the more need there is of helpe and aſſiſtance; even as Moſes his father in law doeth convince & perſwade at large, Ex… 18. verſ. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23▪ 24, 25, 26. And accordingly the godly-wi… have beene wont to menage their weigh… affaires. See Judg. 1.3. And Judah ſaid… Simeon his brother, come up with … into my lot, that we may fight againſt t… Canaanites, and I likewiſe will goe wi… thee into thy lot. So Simeon went wi… him. & verſ. 17. And Judah went with S… meon his brother, and they ſlew, &c.
II. OBSERV. Two are better then one, bec… they have a good reward for their labour. For … they fall, the one will lift up his fellow, but wo… him that is alone, when he falleth, for he hath … another to lift him up. Againe, if two lie together … then they have heat, but how can one be wa… alone? And if one prevaile againſt him, two ſh… withſtand him; and a threefold coard is not quick… broken. See Eccleſ. 4.9, 10, 11, 12.
XLI. PROPOSITION. Religious faſting is a ſingular helpe and meanes, ordained by God, to promote and further a due performance of the extraordinary occaſionall ſervices of prayer and exerciſe in the Word
PROOF. This is expreſſely ſet downe Joel, 1.14. Sanctify ye a faſt, &c. See alſo Joel, 2.12. Turne ye to me, ſaith the Lord, with all your heart, and with faſting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And according to this ordinance the people of God have been wont to frame their courſe. See Dan. 9.3. And I ſet my face unto the Lord God, to ſeeke by prayer, and ſupplications, with faſting, and ſackcloth, and aſhes, &c. 2. Sam. 12.16. David therefore beſought God for the child, and David faſted and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
I. REAS. Becauſe faſting (being an abſtinence from all the helps and comforts of this life, ſo farre as neceſſity and decency will ſuffer, as is to be ſeene, Levit. 23.28. Exod. 33.5. Dan. 10.3.) doeth argue and imply a ſelfe accuſing, and ſelfe judging in a holy revenge, ſo as the heart is thereby wrought to humiliation, and ſtirred up to devotion. See this in Nehemiah and Cornelius, who when they faſted, were thereby quickned to pray more fervently and effectually, upon their ſpeciall occaſions, as appeareth, Nehem. 1.4. & Act. 10.30.
II. REAS. Becauſe faſting and prayer are moſt powerful meanes to effect ſome things of great and weighty conſequence, and that otherwiſe cannot be brought to paſſe. An inſtance hereof is rendred by our Savio… Chriſt in the caſe of ſome poſſeſſion by t… Devill. See Mark. 9.29. This kinde can … forth by nothing, but by prayer and faſting.
OBSERV. A putting on ſackcloth … aſhes, a renting of clothes, a falling dow… to the ground on the face, &c. uſed by ſo… in their faſtings, were ſuch cuſtomes … faſhions, as ſome people in ſome countre… in former ages, did many times uſe to … preſſe their greife by; but were no way peculiar to Gods worſhip, nor yet appropriated thereunto. See 2 King. 5.7, 8. & cha… 11.14. And therefore Chriſtians in th… daies of the Goſpel are in no ſort bound… the uſe thereof; who yet are bound to ex… ciſe faſting and prayer, according to oc… ſion; ſith it is a divine ordinance aſwell … the new Teſtament, as it was for the old.