Among all the Mercies which God hath vouchsafed to bestow upon this Kingdom by your help, the procuring of a Monthly Fast, from his Royal Majesty (during the wars of Ireland, and the unsettled condition of England) is not the least. For by this means the Churches of England are set in a monthly posture of war to fight with Prayers and Tears (which are the Churches weapons) against all the enemies of our peace and prosperity: And may very fitly resemble the Tree of Life, mentioned Revel. 22. 2. which yielded her fruit every Month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations. I doubt not but through Gods blessing, this Monthly Fast will prove an England-and-Ireland-healing Fast, if it be celebrated as it ought to be, with weeping, mourning, and brokenness of heart for sin, and from sin. Great is the efficacy, and omnipotency of prayer and fasting: So great, 1as that it would require rather a large volume than a ⟨image 3⟩short Epistle to express it. And therefore I purposely wave it, as a theme in which a child cannot want eloquence, & in which I should sooner know where to begin, than where to make an end. As the Jews had their Monthly Feast, which they called their New Moons, in 2which the Word was preached, their shops shut up, & special sacrifices offered up to God: And as they had their Feast of Trumpets, in which they blowed their trumpets all day long (especially in their first New Moon) from Sunrising, till night: So, Blessed be God, we now enjoy our Christian New Moons, and Evangelical Feast of Trumpets. We have not o•ely our Monthly Sacrament Feast to refresh our souls withal, in most of our congregations, (which would be as the hidden Manna, Revel. 2. 17. an unspeakable consolation to the Religious party, if you would be pleased (most, noble Senators) to appoint by your authority some spiritual rails (as you have taken away other kind of rails) to keep away all dogs and swine from polluting that holy Ordinance) but we have also our New Moon F•st, in which the Word is preached, trading ceaseth, and Sacrifices of prayer, praises, and alms, are tendered up to God, in the name of Jesus Christ.
AMong all the Mercies which God hath vouchsafed to bestow upō this Kingdome by your helpe, the procuring of a Monethly Fast, from his Royall Majesty (during the warres of Ireland, and the unsetled condition of England) is not the least. For by this meanes the Churches of England are set in a monethly posture of warre to fight with Prayers and Teares (which are the Churches weapons) against all the enemies of our peace and prosperity: And may very fitly resemble the Tree of Life, mentioned Revel. 22. 2. which yeelded her fruite every Moneth, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations. I doubt not but through Gods blessing, this Monethly Fast will prove an England-and-Ireland-healing Fast, if it be celebrated as it ought to be, with weeping, mourning, and brokennesse of heart for sin, and from sin. Great is the efficacy, and omnipotency of prayer and fasting: So great, 1as that it would require rather a large volume than a ⟨image 3⟩short Epistle to expresse it. And therefore I purposely wave it, as a theame in which a child cannot want eloquence, & in which I should sooner know where to begin, than where to make an end. As the Jewes had their Monethly Feast, which they called their New Moones, in 2which the Word was preached, their shops shut up, & special sacrifices offered up to God: And as they had their Feast of Trumpets, in which they blowed their trumpets all day long (especially in their first New Moone) from Sunrising, till night: So, Blessed be God, we now enjoy our Christian New Moones, and Evangelical Feast of Trumpets. We have not o•ely our Monethly Sacrament Feast to refresh our soules withall, in most of our congregations, (which would be as the hidden Manna, Revel. 2. 17. an unspeakeable consolation to the Religious party, if you would be pleased (most, noble Senators) to appoint by your authority some spirituall railes (as you have taken away other kind of railes) to keepe away all dogs and swine from polluting that holy Ordinance) but we have also our New Moone F•st, in which the Word is preached, trading ceaseth, and Sacrifices of prayer, praises, and almes, are tendred up to God, in the name of Jesus Christ.
- 1Vincit invincibilem ligat omnipotentem.
- 22 King. 4. 23. Amos 8. 9 Numb. 29 […] H•b Antiquity.2 King. 4. 23. Amos 8. 9 Numb. 29 〈…〉 H•b Antiqu•ty.
