Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 6 · Verse 18
Verse 18. That thou appear not unto men to fast, &c.]
… foreign. Ne te … extra.… the glow-worm, which seems to have both light and heat; but touch it, and it hath neither indeed. In the history of the World encompassed by Sr Francis Drake, it is …, that in a certain Island to the southward of Celebes, among the trees, night by night did shew themselves, an infinite swarm of fiery-seeming worms, flying in the ayre, whose bodies no bigger then an ordinary flye, did make a shew, and give such… encomp. … S. Fr. …. …. light, as if every twig on every tree had been a lighted candle, or as if that place had been the starry sphere. This was but a semblance, but an appearance: no more is that of hypocrites, but a …, but a flourish. A sincere man is like a crystall-glasse with a light in the midst, which appeareth through every part thereof, so as that truth within, breaketh out in every parcell of his life. There is in his obedience to God, 1. An universality, he doth every as well as any part and point of Gods revealed will, so far as he knows it. 2. An uniformity, without prejudice or partiality, I …. 5. 21. without … the balance of one side, Inequalityforeign. of the leggs …, and an unequall pulse argues bodily…. …. 104, …. …; so doth an unsuitable carriage an unsound soul. 3. …: … the same at home as abroad; in the closet as in…. 23 …. the …; and mindes secret as well as open …: … … is … the same in his masters house, in the … and at …; … or …, not like the planet …, that is … with good, and bad with bad. … is unfained, 1 Tim. 1. 5. his love …, … …. 3. …. …. ndissembled. …. 3. 17. his repentance,foreign a renting of … … 2. 12. his …, an afflicting of the soul. with …, till … heart be as sore within him as the … … the third day aster circumcision, Lev. 16. 31. & 23. 37. He truly … at pleasing God, and not at byrespects. This is truth in the inwards, Psal. 51. 6. this is that … and truth, 1 Cor. 5. 8 that simplicity and godly sincerity, 2 …. 1. 12. A dainty word: It is a Metaphor (saith one) fromforeign. such things as are tried by being held up against the beams of the…. Sun (as chap-men doe in the choice of their wares) to see what faults or flaws are in them, It is properly used (saith B. Andrews) of … wares, such as we may foreign, bring forth, … her ….and shew them in the Sun. And as a godly man is sincere, without wax, or grosse matter, as he is unmingled, and true of heart, so he doeth truth, Joh. 3. 21. he will not lye, Isa. 63. 9. that great reall… mel. 1. …. lye especially. Hypocrites in doing good, they doe lyes (by their delusion, as grosse hypocrites, by their collusion, as close hypocrites.) Thus Ephraim compassed God with lyes. His knowledge was but a form, his godlinesse a figure: his zeal a flash, all he did,…. 11. 12. a semblance: as these Pharisees only appeared to fast and doe … … 2. ….duties. But every fowl that hath a seemly feather, hath not the2 …. 3. 5. sweetest flesh; nor doth every tree that beareth a goodly leaf,Luk 8. 18. …. 6. ….bring good fruit. Glasse giveth a clearer sound then silver, and many things glister besides gold. A true Christian cares as well to approve his inside to God, as his outside to the world: And it is a just question, whether the desire of being, or dislike of seeming sincere, be greater in him. He … his worst to men, and best to God (as Moses did, when going to the mount he pulled off his veil; and shents himself oft before God for …, which the world applauds in him. God he knows, seeth in secret, there's no tempting him with Ananias and Saphira, to try whether he tryeth the hearts or not. His sharp nose easily discerneth, and is offended with the stinking breath of rotten lungs, though the words or outward actions be never so sented and persumed with shews of holinesse.
Thy Father, which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly]
He is the rewarder of all that diligently seek him in this soul fatting …: Heb 10. 6.which as it was seen and allowed by the Lord Christ, Luk. 5. 33. so it was never rightly used without effect: It is called the day of Reconciliation or Attonement, and hath most rich and precious promises, Ioel 2. 13. to the 21. Its sure, God will pardon our sins, and that carries meat in the mouth of it, Psal. 42, 1, 2. Its probable, that … leave a blessing … him (and the rather, that we may therewith chearfully serve him) even a meat-offering and a drink-offering to the Lord our God: according to that of the …; There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared, i. e. served. Fullnesse of bread was Sodoms sin, and in those sacrificing Sodomites, Isa. 1. 10. it was noted for an inexpiable evil, Isa. 22. 14. They that fast not on earth, when God calls to it, shall be … with gall and … in hell: they that … not among men, shall howle among devils: whereas those that sow in Psal. 126. 5.… shall reap in joy, they that mourn in time of sinning, shall beEz …. …. …. … in time of punishing: and as they have sought the Lord … fasting, so shall he yet again be sought and found of such with…. 8 10. … feasting; as he hath … and performed to his people inJudg. …. all … of the Church, not an instance can be alledged to the contrary.… 8 …. …. ….… three great fasters met gloriously upon mount Tabor. …. 4. ….The Israelites fasting (and not till then) were …, Iudg. 20.…. …. 26. … was delivered, Esther and her people reprived, Daniel Acts 10. 30.… visions from heaven, Ezra help from heaven. And surely if with fasting and prayer we can wrestle with God, as Iacob, we need not fear Duke Esau, with his 600 cut-throats comming against us. Si Deus nobiscum, quis contra nos. Numa being toldforeign, …. that his enemies were coming upon him as he was offering sacrifices, thought it sufficient for his safety, that he could say, At ego …. ….rem divinam facio, but I am about the service of my God. When … had once established a preaching Ministery in all the Cities of Iudah, then, and not till then, the fear of the Lord fell upon 2 Chron. 17.the neighbour Nations, and they made no warre; albeit he had…, 8. 9. before that placed forces in all the fenced Cities. Leotine PrinceEgo, …, formido … eleemosynas … quam ejus copias. D Povvel, in sua Camb. …. of Wales, when he was moved by some about him to make warre … our Henry the third, replied thus; I am much more afraid of his alms then of his Armies. Frederike the Electour of Saxony, intending warre against the Archbishop of Magdeburg, sent a spy to search out his preparations, and to hearken out his designes. But understanding, that the Archbishop did nothing more then commitAlius insaniat ut … inserat ei qui … se …. Bucholc. his cause to God, and give himself to fasting and prayer, Alius, inquit insaniat, &c. Let him fight, said he, that hath a minde to it: I am not so mad as to fight against him, that trusts to have God his defender and deliverer. It is reported, that at the siege of …, the people of God, using daily humiliation, as their service would permit, did sing a Psalm after, and immediatly before their … forth; with which practice the enemy coming acquainted, ever upon the singing of the Psalme (after which they expected a sally) they would so quake and tremble, crying, They come, they come, … though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon…, …. …. them. The souldiers that went against the … (where God was sincerely serv'd amidst a whole Kingdom of Papists) told their Captains they were so astonished, they could not strike. Some others said, that the Ministers, with their … Act. …. … ….and praier, conjured and … them, that they could not fight. It was the custome of this poor people, so soon as they saw the enemy to approach, to cry all together for aid and … to the Lord, &c. while the … fought, the rest of the … with their Ministers, made their hearty praier to God, with sighes and tears, and that from the morning to the evening: when night was come, they assembled again together. They which had fought, rehearsed Gods wonderfull aid and succour, and so all together rendered thanks. Alway he turned their … into joy. In the morning, trouble and affliction appeared before them, with great terrour on all sides: but by the evening they were delivered, and had great cause of … Ibid. 885.and comfort.