The Christian exercise of fasting, priuate and publike plainly set forth by testimonies of holy Scriptures, and also of old and late writers: wherein is shewed how religious families priuatly, and the congregations publikely, haue humbled themselues before almightie God, making vse of iudgements past, auoyding euils present, and preuenting future calamities, &c. Together with sundrie abuses of fasting in three generations of hypocrites: the first in the dayes of the prophets: the second in the dayes of Christ: the third in the dayes of Antichrist. Hereunto also are added some meditations on the 1. and 2. chapters of Iob, to comfort and instruct all such as be afflicted with any crosse, either inwardly in minde, or outwardly in bodie. By H. Holland, minister and preacher of Gods word.

The confirmation of this description followeth.

1. An abstinence from all meates. So much doth the word signifie in Hebrue, Greeke and Latine, as all good writers testifie. For the Hebrue word Tsome, signifieth to afflict and appaire the bodie with abstinence from all meates and drinkes, &c. as appeareth, Ionas 3.7. Let nei∣ther man nor beast taste any thing, neither feed nor drink water. The same sayth Dauid in his fast for Abner: So doe God to me and more also, if I taste bread or ought els till the sunne be downe. 2. Sam. 3.35. The Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, doth not signifie to liue sparingly and sober onely, but to taste nothing at all. And as for the Latin ieiunium,* 1.1 the best O∣rator saith the very same of it, that himselfe being sicke of a bloudie fluxe, he was ieiunus, fasting so as (sayth hee) J tasted not so much as water.

2. From all other things which may cherish the bodie. So generally bee Dauids words,* 1.2 if I taste bread or ought els, 2. Sam. 3.35. They were commaunded also to put a∣way their best rayment, Exod. 33.5.6. Againe, they were to abstaine from the marriage bed, Ioel. 2.16. 1. Cor. 7.5. and from all mirth and musicke, Dan. 6.18. recreations, delights and pleasures, and from all ioy of temporall de∣lights, sayth Augustine, quaest. Euang. lib. 2. cap. 18. and to giue themselues to mourning, weeping, and hea∣uines for their sinnes, &c. Nehem. 1. vers. 4. J sate downe, J wept, I mourned certaine daies, I fasted, I prayed. And for this cause also they had their sackcloth and ashes, to signifie that they were not worthie of any attyre, and that they were but ashes. This also was ment by rending their coates. But now Christ in our text sayth, that we may fast, wanting both sackcloth and ashes, yea euen when wee haue washed and perfumed our selues sweetly: for the

Lord regards not the outward ceremonies, but will haue vs cheerefully to worship him, and to reioyce euen in mourning, to rend our hearts, that wee may see our cor∣ruptions, and abhorre them and ourselues, for the huge masse of sinne which lieth hid within vs, Iob. 42. vers. 6.

3. For one whole day. This sayth Dauid in the place before cited, 2. Sam. 3.35. So doe God to me and more also, if I taste bread or ought els till the sunne be downe. So Saul, 1. Sam. 14.24. So the children of Israel when they went to battell against the Beniamites, they went twise foorth against them to their great losse, the first time they lost 22000. men, Iudg. 20.21. the second time 18000. men, ver. 25. but the third time it is sayd all the children of Israel went vp, and al the people came also vnto the house of God, and wept, and sate there before the Lord, and fa∣sted that day vnto the euening, vers. 26. and the next day preuailed against their enemies, vers, 35.48. So for Saul & Ionathan, &c. they wept and fasted vntill the euening. So Cornelius desirous to receiue that foode which was bet∣ter to him (as Iob sayth, chap. 23.12.) then his ordinarie foode: he fasted also vntill the 9. houre of the day, Act. 10. 30. The 9. houre of the day, that is about the euening, saith Epiphanius.* 1.3 And when at euen (sayth Chemnitius) they came to eate, they neither made choyce of delicate fish or fruites, neither did they fill themselues with wines or strong drinkes, or fare daintily, as Daniel sayth, no pleasant bread, flesh or wine, but they fed vpon such poore things as came next to hand, they fed euer (as the Psalmist sayth) vpon the bread of teares, Psalm. 80.5. and mingled their drinke with weeping, Psalm. 102. bread of aduersitie and water of affliction, Es. 30.20. 1. King 22.27. that is, a poore portion of bread and water. So Iudith all her widowhood excepting the Sabboths: for to dine and fast are set as op∣posite with August. epist. 86. And so Anna, Luk. 2. they had no dinner at all, but a light supper when they fasted: for the diet of fasting must bee contrary to feasting,

which is permitted sometimes the faithfull. Nehem. 8.10. Go and eate of the fat, and drink of the sweet,* 1.4 & send part for them for whom none is prepared.

4. At the least. This is added for that they continued their fast other whiles (as occasion was offered) for more daies then one. Hester three daies and nights, chap. 4. vers. 16. Goe and assemble the Iewes in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and eate not nor drinke in three daies & three nights, I also and my maides will fast likewise, and so will I go vn∣to the King, which is not according to the law, and if I pe∣rish I perish. So the holy Apostle Paul in his conuersion was so rauished with the vision, and so humbled being al∣so blinde, that hee continued three daies without meate or drinke, Acts. 9. vers. 9. So Nehemias some number of daies, chap. 1.1. and Dauid seauen daies for his sonne, 2. Sam. 12. but Daniel 21. daies, chap. 10.2.3. Nature can hardly beare three daies abstinence, as may appeare by the storie of the Egyptian, who was neere dead, because he had tasted of nothing in three daies and three nights, 1. Sam. 30.12. he was sicke before, but this abstinence brought him to deaths doore. These continued fasts therefore for many daies, wanted but either dinner or supper, they had but one meale, and therein, no doubt, they were very sparing, paring away part of their ordina∣rie, the matter also more course and common then their ordinarie, as appeares by the words of Daniel, chap. 10. vers. 2.3.

5. Proceeding from a true faith. For, whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin, Rom. 14.23. seeme it neuer so holy. For without faith it is impossible to please him, and to haue ac∣cesse vnto him. Heb. 11.6. and impossible to worship him, Rom. 10.14. Seeme our seruice neuer so humble and du∣tifull, if our prayer cannot please him without faith, much lesse our fasting: for this worke is but to attend vpon that: Non virtus sed gradus ad virtutem: Not a vertue, but a steppe to vertue: and that we may the better serue

God, adminiculum orationis, a staffe to support vs in prayer, and to keepe vs vp watchfull: for fulnes maketh vs drowsie and to forget God. Here therefore all opinion of merit and of the worke done, must neuer take place with vs, and wee must desire this whole exercise may bee bles∣sed, sanctified, and accepted of God in and through Iesus Christ.

6. A cheerefull willing minde. Oportet exerceri, ani∣mo volente, hilari & prompte: We must exercise our selues in this seruice of God cheerefully, sayth master Bullinger. And this is Christs meaning in our text, Matth. 6. vers. 17. when hee willeth vs to annoynt, perfume and wash our selues in sweete waters, to be sweet and cheerefull rather then to be sowre, like the hypocrites, or as the blacke Ce∣marims. The Lord threatneth to them which want this cheerefulnes in his seruice many plagues, Deuter. 28.47. Because thou seruedst not the Lord thy God with ioyful∣nes, and with a good heart, for the abundance of all things, &c. Godly sorrow will cause godly cheerefulnes of heart and mind, 2. Cor. 7.10. and delight in the Lord, Psal. 37.4.

7. To testifie our repentance, and to worke in vs a grea∣ter humiliation. It is (sayth Chemnitius) very truely,* 1.5 both testimonium poenitentiae, a testimonie of repentance, & irrit amentū ad poenitentiam, and a meanes to worke in vs a deeper humiliation. For the first poynt, fasting is called in Scripture the humbling of the soule,* 1.6 Leuit. 23.27.16.29. Psalm. 35.13. Deut. 10.12. For the second, Ezra testifieth, saying, chap. 8. vers. 21. I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble our selues before our God, and seeke of him a right way, for vs and for our children, and for all our substance principally. Fasting is acceptable to God, if it bee done without hypocrisie, that is, if wee vse it to this ende, that thereby this mortall bodie,* 1.7 and disobedient carcasse, may be tamed and brought vnder, the subiection of the spirit, and againe if we fast to the end, that we may spare to help and succour our needie brethren. It hath many good vses,

as after shall better appeare, for our owne good, for the Church, and for the poore: For what the rich spare this day, the poore must spend, Nehem. 8.10.

8. That our prayers may be more effectuall. Confession of sinnes and prayers euer follow fasting: this exercise is neuer without prayer, for it serueth in speciall manner to make vs fit for prayer, Nehem. 1.4.5. Psal. 35.13. 2. Sam. 12. Dan. 9. and 10. 1. Cor. 7.5. &c.

9. Concerne our wants priuatly and the publique. This shall appeare in the descriptions following, both of pri∣uate and publique fast.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Marc. Cic. lib. 7 epist. 27.
• * 1.2

  We must ab∣staine, sayth one, Quantum natura ferre & sustinere po∣test, quantum∣que ad excitā∣dos facit non extinguendos animi sensus. Eccle. 22.6.
• * 1.3

  Chemit, exam. Trid. Con. tom. 4. de ieiunio.
• * 1.4

  In your sea∣sting remem∣ber the poore.
• * 1.5

  Exam. Con. Tr. p. 4.
• * 1.6

  1. King. 21.27.28.29. 2. Chro. 12.6.7 Zeph. 2.3.
• * 1.7

  Master Marshs letter to his friends in Lan∣keshire. Acts and Monum.