§. Sect. 4 Of humiliati∣on and peni∣tencie in the time of our fast.
Now this spirituall and inward exercise is nothing else, but a seri∣ous humiliation of our soules before God, ioyned with feruent pray∣er and vnfained repentance, that wee may finde grace with God, and haue our speciall suites heard and granted. The first thing is humilia∣tion or penitency, vnto which is required; First, a thorow sense and feeling of our sinnes, whereby we haue prouoked Gods anger against vs. Secondly, vnfained sorrow and bitter griefe, chiefely in this re∣spect, because by our sinnes wee haue displeased and dishonoured our glorious God and gracious Father, vnto which wee must attaine, by considering and aggrauating our sinnes, in respect of the quantity and quality, their number and haynousnesse, by meditating on Gods Iudgements and Mercies, the curse and threatnings of the Law, and the gracious promises of the Gospell; on Gods gloriousnesse in him∣selfe, and graciousnesse towards vs; that by our sinnes wee haue pear∣ced ad crucified our Sauiour Christ, and caused the Lord of life to be put to a shamefull death, vexed and grieued Gods good Spirit dwelling in vs, slandered our profession, giuen offence to our neighbours, and drawne vpon our selues Gods heauie punishments in this life and the life to come, and especially the present Iudgement which we feare as imminent, or feele as being already inflicted vpon vs. Thirdly, A vile and base conceite of our selues in respect of our sinnes, whereby wee adiudge our selues as vtterly vnworthy of Gods least mercies, and contrariwise, that wee haue deserued the greatest of his plagues, and not onely that which we presently feare or feele, but all other pu∣nishments temporall and eternall. Lastly, in this humiliation we are to expresse our sorrow and griefe of heart, by our lamentations and wo∣full complaints, bewailing our wretched condition both in respect of sinne and punishment, and bemoning our miserie before the Lord, as a fit subiect, whereon hee may exercise his aboundant and rich mercies, in pardoning our sinnes, and remouing our punish∣ments.