The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

The Jews notwithstanding had more times of common fasting, which the Prophet Zechariah reciteth, to be the fast of the fourth, the ¹fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth month. But for that it appeareth not in the levitical law when they were instituted, it is to be judged, that those other times of fasting, more then the fast of the seventh month, were ordained among the Jews by the appointment of their governors, rather of devotion, then by any open commandment given from God. Upon the ordinance of this general fast, good men took occasion to appoint to them selves private fasts, at such times as they did either earnestly lament and bewail their sinful lives, or did addict them selves to more fervent prayer, that it might please God to turn his wrath from them, when either they were admonished and brought to the consideration thereof by the preaching of the Prophets, or otherwise when they saw present danger to hang over their heads. This sorrowfulness of heart, joined with fasting, they uttered sometime by their outward behaviour and gesture of body, putting on sackcloth, sprinkling them selves with ashes and dust, and sitting or lying upon the earth. For when good men feel in ⟨p. 175⟩them selves the heavy burden of sin, see damnation to be the reward of it, and behold with the eye of their mind the horror of hell, they tremble, they quake, and are inwardly touched with sorrowfulness of heart for their offences, and cannot but accuse them selves, and open this their grief unto almighty God, and call unto him for mercy. This being done seriously, their mind is so occupied, partly with sorrow and heaviness, partly with an earnest desire to be delivered from this danger of hell and damnation, that all lust of meat and drink is laid apart, and loathsomeness of all worldly things and pleasures cometh in place, so that nothing then liketh them more, then to weep, to lament, to mourn, and both with words and behaviour of body, to show them selves weary of this life. Thus did David fast, when he made intercession to almighty God for the child's life, begotten in adultery of Bethsabe Uriah wife. King Ahab fasted after this sort, when it repented him of murdering of Naboth, bewailing his own sinful doings. Such was the Ninevites fast, brought to repentance by Jonah preaching.

The Jewes notwithstanding had more tymes of common fasting, whiche the Prophete Zacharie reciteth, to be the fast of the fourth, ye