What so ever might make to the humbling and taming of the flesh, that did the godly men use for the most part in the time of their fasting. Neither did those corporal exercises displease God, seeing they came from a contrite hart and troubled spirit, wholly depending with strong faith on the great mercies of God. For David saith: A troubled spirit is a sacrifice to God, nether doth he despise a contrite and humbled hart.1 But these outward signs of humiliation God utterly abhorreth, when they come not from a penitent and faithful ⟨image 15⟩hart, and casteth them away as hypocrytysh and devilish, as we read in the Prophet Isaiah,2 wherefore fast we, say the hypocrites, and thou O God seest in not? We put our lives to straightness, and thou regardest it not. Behold, sayeth God, when ye fast, your lust remaineth s•yl, for ye do no less violence to your debtors. Lo, ye fast to strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Now ye shall not fast thus, that your voice might be herd above. Think ye this fast pleaseth me▪ that a man should chasten him self for a day, and to writhe his head about like an hoop, & to lie upon the earth in an hairy cloth? Should that be called fasting, or day that pleaseth the lord: Doth not this fasting rather please ⟨image 16⟩me, that thou loose him out of bondage that is in thy danger? that thou break the oath of wicked bargains? that thou let the oppressed go free, and take from them all manner of burdens? to deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor wandering home into thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and hide not thy face from thy neighbour, and that thou despise not thine own ••eshe? (If thou thus fastest) then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health flourish right shortly, thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee. Then if thou callest, the Lord shall answer thee, if thou criest, he shall say, here I am, Yea if ⟨image 16⟩thou layest away from thee thy burdens, and holdest thy fingers, and ceasest from blasphemous talking, if thou hast compassion upon the hungry, and refreshest the troubled soul, then shall thy light spring out in the darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the none day. The Lord shall ever be thy Guide, and satisfy the desire of thine heart, in the time of drought, and fill thy bones with marry.
VUhat so euer myght make to the hūblyng and taming of the flesh, that dyd the godly men vse for the moste parte in the tyme of theyr fastynge. Neyther dyd those corporal exercyses displease God, seynge they came from a cōtrite hart and troubled spirit, wholye dependynge wyth strong faith on the great mercies of God. For Dauid saith: A troubled spirit is a sacrifice to God, nether doth he despise a contryte and hūbled hart.1 But these outward sygnes of humiliaciō God vtterly abhorreth, whē they come not from a penitent and faythful ⟨image 15⟩hart, and casteth them awaye as hypocrytysh and diuelish, as we read in the Prophet Esay,2 wherfore fast we, saye the hipocrites, and thou O God seest in not? We put our liues to straightnes, and thou regardest it not. Behold, saieth God, when ye fast, your luste remayneth s•yl, for ye do no lesse vyolence to your debters. Lo, ye faste to stryfe and debate, and to smite with the fyst of wickednes. Now ye shall not faste thus, that your voice might be herd aboue. Thyncke ye thys faste pleaseth me▪ that a man shuld chastē hym selfe for a day, and to wrythe his head about like an hoope, & to lie vpon the earth in an heary cloth? Shuld that be called fastyng, or day that pleaseth the lord: Doth not thys fastynge rather please ⟨image 16⟩me, that thou loose hym oute of bondage that is in thy daunger? that thou breake the othe of wicked bargaynes? that thou let the oppressed go free, and take from them all manner of burthens? to deale thy breade to the hungrye and bryng the poore wandering home into thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou couer hym, and hyde not thy face from thy neighbour, and that thou dispyse not thyne owne ••eshe? (If thou thus fastest) then shall thy lyght breake forthe as the mornynge, and thy healthe flooryshe ryght shortlye, thy ryghteousnes shal go before the, and the glory of the Lorde shall embrace thee. Then if thou callest, the Lorde shal aunswer the, yf thou cryest, he shall saye, here I am, Yea yf ⟨image 16⟩thou layest awaye from thee thy burthens, and holdest thy fyngers, and ceacest from blasphemous talkyng, yf thou hast compassion vpon the houngrye, and refreshest the trubled soule, then shal thy lyght spryng oute in the darknes, and thy darknes shalbe as the none day. The Lord shall euer be thy Guyde, and satysfye the desyre of thyne hearte, in the tyme of drouth, and fil thy bones wyth mary.
- 1Psalm. li.
- 2Isaiah. lviiiEsai. lviii
