A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 3 The causes of a true fast, and when it is most seasonable.

The cause which should move us to perform this duty of fasting, is, that we may by more fervent and effectual prayer obtain at Gods hands some great and extraordinary benefit; either privative or positive. Privative, as freedom, and deliverance from some dangerous evil, either of sin or punishment. In respect of the former; when we, or our Country in which we live, are guilty of some grievous sin, and other means ordinarily used have not been effectual to pull us out of it; or when some strong corruption doth yet lye unmortified in us, and prevaileth against us, notwithstanding our many purposes and promises to subdue and root it out, then is this exercise seasonable, that humbling our selves in an extraordinary manner, we may with all fervency desire the assistance of Gods holy Spirit, for the healing of our selves and the Land, by turning us unto God, and for pulling us out of these prevailing and reigning sins, through serious and sound repentance; for the subduing of our corruptions, that they may no more lead us captive unto sin, and bringing of them in subjection to the spiritual part. And thus Paul, in the sight and sense of his sins, especially that heinous wickedness, in persecuting the Saints of God, in his first conversion, is said to have fasted three days. ¹And Ezra with the people, humbled themselves by fasting before the ²Lord, because they had grievously sinned by taking strange wines; the which reigned and swayed so powerfully amongst them, that the authority of the Magistrates and preaching of the Prophets, was not for a good while sufficient to pull them out of it. The evil of punishment is also a sufficient motive to make us humble our selves before God by fasting and prayer, and that either when some heavy judgement is threatened and imminent, that we may avert it, or already imposed, that we may be delivered out of it; whether it be private, and concern our own person and family; or public, respecting either the Church or Common-wealth. Concerning the first, when the heavy Judgements of God are but threatened, and ready to light upon us, then the Lord especially calleth us to fasting and mourning, that unfeignedly repenting of our sins