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OVr Lord continued his Fast for forty dayes and forty nights: but that was miraculous and aboue the power of nature in him, and ther∣fore is not to be imitated by vs in the same manner. Yet iust occa∣sion
is offered to enquire how long our Fasts ought to bee continued. For distinct answere whereto, wee must note a difference betweene Fasts of ordinary or vsuall continuance, and of extraordinary and vnusuall.
And to begin first with the later; vnusuall and extraordinary I call that, which is for longer time and space, than is commonly vsed, or is or∣dinarily expedient. In this kinde Paul (a) 1.1 fasted three dayes in Damascus; and Mordecai and the Iewes fasted for Ester (b) 1.2 three daies and three nights. And for the continuance of such Fasts, I cannot precisely say, for how many dayes and houres they are to be obserued; onely these two things I can say in the generall. 1. That they must bee no longer than the strength and power of mans nature may beare; as I haue shewed already. 2. That the space of their continuance is to bee measured by the occasion that requireth them, and by the deuotion and discretion of them that keepe them.
2. Secondly, the vsuall continuance of a Fast I call it, when the abstinence is obserued so long as is vsuall among Gods seruants in their ordina∣ry course of life, and is commonly practized by them in their religious Fasts. And for determi∣ning the space of such a Fast, some say that a re∣ligious Fast must bee continued for foure and twenty houres: and the reason is, because on the day of Expiation, God doth enioyne abstinence from euening to euening. But of this place I haue told my opinion before, and now againe I say
vnder correction, first, that this place requireth that space of time for the celebrating of a Sab∣bath or Festiuall day; but saith not the like of a Fasting-day. Secondly, If the Fast there menti∣oned, be meant to continue for foure and twen∣tie houres, as I will not deny but it may be so ta∣ken; yet that is required in this Fast, as it was a seruice belonging to an holy day, not as it was an abstinence required on a Fasting-day. And therefore it was enioyned in this Fast, but is not so in all Fasts. Hee speaketh more resonably as I take it, that saith, a 1.3 A true Fast is an abstinence or forbearing eyther of dinner vntill euening, or of supper vntill dinner time the next day; or else, of both of them together. But yet for more distinct conceiuing of the poynt, I will set downe mine opinion, with submission to better iudgements, in three seuerall propositions.
1. The precise time and distinct houres how long a Fast must be continued, is not any where that I know of, peremptorily defined or comman∣ded, eyther in the holy Scriptures, or in any Wri∣tings of the Ancients. For as for the Scriptures, wee finde examples of some that haue fasted for three dayes, and many that haue fasted till night: but where eyther that space or any other is com∣manded, for my part, I confesse, I know not. And for the ancient Church it is a cleare case, that they vsed to fast, somtime till euening, and many times but till three a clocke in the afternoone. Which sheweth, that they thought no set space of time absolutely necessary.
2. In euery religious Fast, the abstinence must be continued so long, as that the body by wan∣ting his ordinary food, may bee in some sort cha∣stened and afflicted. For so the Scriptures set out a Fast vnto vs, as accompanied with chastening and humiliation. Thus Dauid speaketh, (a) 1.4 I wept and chastened my soule with fasting. And the An∣gell speaking of Daniels Fast, (b) 1.5 When thou didst set thine heart (saith hee) to vnderstand, and to cha∣sten thy selfe before thy God. And Ezrah, (c) 1.6 I pro∣claymed a Fast, that wee might afflict our selues be∣fore God. By all which and other moe sayings to like purpose, it is apparant, that in euery true Fast there is an afflicting of the body. Which how it is to be vnderstood, I haue declared (d) 1.7 elsewhere.
3. The longer our abstinence is, (so it bee with moderation and regard to a mans strength; such as heretofore I described) the more perfect the Fast is, and the more auaileable for the good which we intend by it. My reasons are. First, because fasting is ordained for humiliation and chastening of our selues before God, which the more sensible it is, the more effectuall it proueth: but the longer the abstinence is, the greater is the humiliation or chastening that is wrought by it. And therefore, the longer the abstinence, the perfiter the Fast is. Secondly, Vpon extraordi∣nary occasions, and when greater need required; then Gods seruants haue been accustomed to en∣large the time of their fasting, as I haue shewed before in Ester, and the men of labesh, &c. And this sheweth, that the longer the abstinence is, the
more powerfull the Fast is. Thirdly, The anci∣ent Church did vse longer abstinence in Lent time, than on other Fasting-dayes; intending therein, as in all the other religious duties, to shew more piety than at other times they vsed. And this sheweth that the longer the abstinence is, the more perfit they thought the Fast to be. Fourth∣ly, this conclusion is acknowledged by our Ad∣uersaries of the Romish Church. For though they defend the loosenesse of their Church, which permitteth them on Fasting-dayes to take their dinner at the vsuall time; yet they confesse, a 1.8 that by how much later the houre of our eating is, by so much our Fast is the better, and that they know well enough, that the Fast is so much the more perfit, by how much the refection after it, is the longer protracted.
4. The vsuall time of abstinence mentioned in Scriptures, in an vsuall and ordinary Fast, is the space of one day from morning till night. Thus it is said of the children of Israel, (b) 1.9 that they wept, and sate before the Lord, and fasted that day vntill euen: and of Dauid and his men, (c) 1.10 that they fasted vntill euen for Saul, and for Ionathan, &c. and of Dauid▪ when hee mourned for Abuer, that hee would not be perswaded by the people to eate meat, while it was yet day, but sware, saying, (d) 1.11 So doe God to mee, and more also, if I taste bread or ought else, till the Sunne bee downe. And so else∣where. And according to this custome it is ob∣serued of the Iewes, that euer since, they haue kept their Fast, (e) 1.12 till the Starres appeare in the Firma∣ment.
And lesse time of abstinence then this, I no where finde vsed in Scriptures.
5. In the Primitiue Church I finde, that in the beginning they fasted till sixe of the clocke in the afternoone, or till sun setting, which in common estimation is about sixe of the clocke. For that is the most indifferent time, to measure the euening by, & the most proportionable to the whole yeer, and most answerable to the custome of Gods peo∣ple in the old Testament. For there was not such difference betweene the day and the night among the Iewes, as is among vs. For in Iurie, the short∣est day had tenne houres, and the longest night but foureteene. Whence it followeth, that for the greatest part of the yeere, the sun did set much what about sixe, either not long after, or not long before it. And when the greatest inequality was, as in the depth of winter, it did set at fiue of the clocke, and in the height of summer at seuen. And therefore the most equall time to measure the end of the day or the sunne setting by for all the yeer, is sixe of the clocke. And that I take to haue bin the vsuall time, when both the Iewes and the an∣cient Christians did breake off their Fasts. But af∣terward Christians began to abridge the time of the abstinence, and to cease their Fasts, at least ma∣ny of them, about three of the clocke in the after∣noone. Which Azorius a 1.13 imputeth to decay of zeale euen in those better times; and I wil not de∣ny but it might be so in some part: albeit perhaps another reason may be conceiued thereof besides, namely the multitude of their Fasts, which at that
time were frequent, especially among the religi∣ous sort who gaue themselues to deuotion. For they, sauing Sundayes and festiuall times, were v∣sed to fast euery day; and it might seeme perhaps too much strictnes, in such continuall sort, to en∣dure so long abstinence: and therefore though in Lent time, and vpon other dayes of more straite discipline, they vsed to fast till night, yet ordina∣rily they broke off their Fasts three houres sooner. But if it were decay of zeale in those former Chri∣stians, that they ceased their Fasts before night, then it must needs be an extinction of zeale in the Romane Church, who breaketh her Fast at the v∣suall time of eating: or rather doth not keepe any Fast so long.
And now out of all this, we haue in the gene∣rall this cleare and manifest conclusion, That though no precise time for continuance is prescri∣bed in Gods Word; yet the continuance of a Fast, without eating or drinking till euening, (which by common estimation is held to be about sixe of the clocke) is approued of in Scriptures, and was pra∣ctised by the ancient Christians, and commended of all: and that the shortening of this time, was from decay of deuotion. And therefore if wee would take a safe way, and that which is best ap∣proued of all, we must continue our abstinence on our fasting dayes, till night; without eating or drinking till about euening, vnlesse infirmity or some other necessary cause doe require refreshing sooner. But more particularly, we may from the former discourse gather and obserue these things following.
1. Wee may see, that the Fast of Protestants, which is continued in perfect abstinence from all meate and drinke till the euening, is more agreea∣ble to the custome of Gods people in former ages, and is in it selfe, a better and more perfect Fast, then the Fast of Papists is, euen our Enemies being Iudges. For they praise it for a better Fast, which hath the longer abstinence: and we fast till night, whereas they doe not so much as forbeare eating till mid-day.
2. We may see, with how little God is con∣tented at our hands, in respect of that which Christ performed for our sakes. For abstinence for the space of one day is accepted of God, for a good dutie of humiliation; but Christ our Lord fasted forty dayes and forty nights for the furthering of our saluation. And yet whereas Christ perfor∣med all this for our sakes, we think it too much to doe this little for his sake. Nay, as the Iewes were wearie of the Sabbath day, and times of Gods ser∣uice, and said, (a) 1.14 When will the new-moone be gone, and the Sabbath, that we may set foorth wheat? And againe, (b) 1.15 Behold what a wearinesse is it? say they. And ye haue snuffed at it, saith the Lord of Hosts. So we may finde men, that when they come to heare a Sermon, are weary of hearing, and wish that the Sermon were ended before the time: and when they come to Church-Seruice, are weary of pray∣ing, and wish that the Seruice were ended before the time: but especially if they vndertake an ho∣ly Fast, are sooner wearie of the Abstinence, and wish that the fasting day were ended before the
time. But a good Christian for discouering of his owne corruption, should take notice of this in∣equality between Christs sufferings for our sakes, and our suffering for his sake. And if the flesh grow weary of hearing or reading or praying or fasting for a conuenient & requisite time; he should check himselfe with the example of his Sauiour, and say to himselfe: But my Lord and Master preached all day, and prayed all night, and fasted many dayes and nights together for my sake; and shall I grudge to spend one houre, or one day in his seruice, & for his Names sake? The religious soule that shall thus now and then checke his owne dulnesse, will by the meditation heereof gaine more feruour in Gods seruice.
Act. 9.9.
Ester 4.16, 17.
Verum & bo∣num ielunium est abstinentia spon∣tane•• siue prandij vsque ad vespe∣ram, sine coenae vsque ad sequen∣tis diei prandi∣um, siue vtrius∣que simul pran∣dij et coenae, &c. Springl. de Hodier. Haere∣ticis, part. 1. l. 3. cap. 2. pag. 842.
Psal. 69.10.
Dan. 10.12.
Ezrah. 8.21.
Cap. 4. pa. 49, &c.
Quò quis tar∣diùs distulerit, cò meliùs ieiunare iudicandus est. Valer. Regi∣nald. prax. fori poenit. l. 4. c. 13. num. 158. Quanto plus tardâ horâ com∣editur, meliùs ieiunatur. Ca∣ietan v. Ieiun. pag. 120. Neque ignorant Catholici ieiuni∣um tantò esse perfectius, quan∣tò diutius refe∣ctio siue Coena differtur. Bellar. de bon. oper. in particl. l. 2. cap. 2. pag. 1072. B.
Iudg. 20.26.
2. Sam. 1.12.
2. Sam. 3.35.
Buxdorf. Synag. Iudaic. cap. 25. pag. 458. Tostat. in Matth. 4. q. 11. Azor. part. 1. l. 7. cap. 11. q. 1. pag. 563. col. 2.
Tepescente sen∣sim vetere illo feruore, coeptum est solui ieiunium, primò quidem antequam sol oc∣cidcret, deinde verò etiā paucis heris ante solis abscessum. Azo. par. 1. l. 7. c. 11. q. 1. pag. 563, 564.
Amos 8.5.
Mal. 1.13.