Certaine sermons of Sainte Augustines translated out of Latyn, into Englishe, by Thomas Paynell.

* 1.1¶ Of the misterye, frute, and maner of fastynge in Lent. iiii. Ser. (Book 4)

WE oughte to esteme & sup∣pose y^e whole tyme of oure lyfe, to be a place to exer¦cise vertue in, and with al ver¦tue to stryue to come to the celestiall rewarde, But that must and oughte most speci∣ally to be done and fulfiled in this holy tyme and dayes of Lent: the whiche dayes be∣yng halowed wyth abstinēce and fasting, do adde so much to the vertue of y^t soule, howe muche they diminishe of the voluptuous pleasure of the body. This a is lawful num∣ber of fasting dayes, the whi¦che are celebrated in holy ex∣amples. Moyses when he shoulde receaue the lawe of

God did fast forty daies and forty nyghts without eyther * 1.2 meate or drynke, by such ab∣stinence and fasting, he was prepared and ordeyned to re¦ceaue the wyll and the com∣maundementes of god. He * 1.3 lias after he had fasted fortye daies, was translated and ca¦ried out of the world in a cha¦ret of fire to the hiest place of heauē. Our lord and sauyour * 1.4 through fastinge of, xl, dayes did triumphe, and ouercame the temptacions of the deuil, and as victorius came to the predication and declaration of the gospell. And we in like maner ought to faste, and to obserue these dayes, the whi∣che we do reade to be conse∣crated and halowed by suche examples. Let vs therefore

consecrate and honour these dayes with al alacrite & ioy∣fulnes of hearte and mind, & prefer them aboue al wordly banketes, and bodely delyte. For in these dayes we are most kindled and inflamed to fulfyl the wil and y^e cōmaun∣dements of god, for through abstinence the plesure of the body is much swaged and de¦bated. Truely the pure mind doth then make most hast to God, and to do and fulfyl his commaundementes, when it is not mistempered wyth surfeytynge, nor wyth the sacietie of meates and dryn∣kes. Where of oure Sauy∣oure in hys Gospell dothe saye. Take hede to youre selues, leste youre hartes be ouercomme wyth surfeits

with dronkennes, and with worldely cares and * 1.5cogitati¦ons, leste that sodayne daye come on you vnwares, for it shall come as a snare vpon y^e vniuersall world, and no mā shall scape it: Also thys great vtilitie and profit is in these hungery and fastyng dayes: for through suche abstinence and abstayning from lawful thinges, we are monished & muche exhorted to abstayne frō that, which is vnlawfull. We abstayne from flesshe, the whiche vpon other daies we mai vse lawfully. We abstain from wyne, the whiche we maye vse moderatelye. Let vs therfore whiche do exchue and auoyde the thynge that is lawfull, flye and aboue all thynges auoyde synne, that

can neuer be wel and lawful¦ly vsed. And yf we intende & purpose to fast from meat, let vs aboue al thinges fast and abstayne frō synne. For what doth it auayle vs to absteine or to void the body of meate if we replenish the soule with vice and synne? What do the it profitte the to be pale and wanne with fastinge, yf thou be blowen and puft vp with hatred and enuy? What doth it auayle vs to abstaine from wyne, yf we be dronken and full of the poyson of anger? What auauntageth it the to abstayne from flesh ordeined to be eaten, yf thou backbyte and speke malitiously of th•• neyghbour? What dothe it a uayle vs to abstayne frome those thynges whiche are at

sometimes lawfull, yf we do those thinges, which are ne∣uer laweful? Therfore let vs (as I haue sayd) fast and ab∣stayne from meate, but much more frō vice, that we maye be replenished with the abun dance of good & holy conuer¦sation, and in time to com de¦serue & merite through gods grace and fauor, to be satisfy∣ed with the rewarde of good workes. For they (as we doo read in the gosplel) are blissed * 1.6 that hūger and thirst, iustice, for they shalbe satisfyed, In trueth we oughte to choose this cōpensation, that is to geue & to distribute such mea¦tes as we do absteyne fro, to the poore & neadye. For it is written. Blessed be they that are content to suffer, that in

another place they may be re¦fresshed. For that gyft is acce¦ptable vnto God, when the neadye is fed and refreshed, when the bare is clothed, when anger is not perfour∣med nor finished, whē y^t time of anger is not kept, & when euil is not done for euyl. Our fastinges are then thankful * 1.7 and acceptable vnto GOD, when we do refreshe and cō∣forte those that fast for verye¦nede & necessitie, for then we shal heare this sentence, Ue∣rely * 1.8 I say vnto you, inasmu∣che as ye haue done it vnto on of the lest of these, ye haue done it to me. O the gret be nignitie and goodnes of god the which to represse and as∣swage the couetousnesse of man saith that whatsoeuer is

geuen to the least poore man that is, is geuen vnto hym selfe. The goodnes of God graunte you my brethren y^t ye maye so serue and please him with youre abstinence, al¦mes dedes, & good workes: that he the which doth lyue eternallye, may brynge you to the eternall and true lyfe. So be it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ser, 46.
• * 1.2

  Exo, 44.
• * 1.3

  3, Re, 19.
• * 1.4

  Mat. 4.
• * 1.5

  Luke, 21.
• * 1.6

  Mat, 5.
• * 1.7

  Aom 12▪
• * 1.8

  Mat, 25.