only to prayer by noon, and as soon as the great and first solemnity of the day is over. But if fasting be intended as a punitive act, and an instrument of repentance, it must be greater. St. Paul, at his conversion, continued three days without eating or drinking. It must have in it so much affliction as to express the indignation, and to condemn the sin, and to judge the person. And although the mea ceive that abstinence had been the better disposition | dissolving some of her fasts, which were in order to any intellectual and spiritual action. And, therefore, the church of God ever joined fasting to their more solemn offices of prayer. The apostles "fasted and prayed when they laid their hands," invocated the Holy Ghost upon Saul and Barnabas. m And these also, "when they had prayed with fasting," ordained elders in the churches of Lystra and Iconium." And the vigils of every holy day tell us, that the devotion of the festival is promoted by the fast of the vigils. 4. But when fasting relates to what is past, it becomes an instrument of repentance, it is a punitive and afflictive action, an effect of godly sorrow, a testimony of contrition, “ a judging of ourselves, and chastening our bodies, that we be not judged of the Lord." The fast of the Ninevites, and the fast the prophet Joel calls for, and the discipline of the Jews in the rights of expiation, proclaim this usefulness of fasting in order to repentance. And, indeed, it were a strange repentance that had no sorrow in it, and a stranger sorrow that had no affliction; but it were the strangest scene of affliction in the world, when the sad and afflicted person shall eat freely, and delight himself, and to the banquets of a full table serve up the chalice of tears and sorrow, and no bread of affliction. Certainly he that makes much of himself, hath no great indignation against the sinner, when himself is the man. And it is but a gentle revenge and an easy judgment, when the sad sinner shall do penance in good meals, and expiate his sin with sensual satisfaction. So that fasting relates to religion, in all variety and difference of time it is an antidote against the poison of sensual temptations, an advantage to prayer, and an instrument of extinguishing the guilt and the affections of sin, by judging ourselves, and representing, in a judicatory of our own, even ourselves being judges, that sin deserves condemnation, and the sinner merits a high calamity. | Which excellencies I repeat in the words of Baruch the scribe, he that was amanuensis to the prophet Jeremy: "The soul that is greatly vexed, which goeth stooping and feeble, and the eyes that fail, and the hungry soul, will give thee praise and righteousness, O Lord." I 5. But now, as fasting hath divers ends, so also it hath divers laws. If fasting be intended as an instrument of prayer, it is sufficient that it be of that quality and degree that the spirit be clear and the head undisturbed, an ordinary act of fast, an abstinence from a meal, or a deferring it, or a lessening it when it comes, and the same abstinence repeated, according to the solemnity and intendment of the offices. And this is evident in reason, and the former instances, and the practice of the church, And sure of this cannot be exactly determined, yet the general proportion is certain; for a greater sin there must be a greater sorrow, and a greater sorrow must be attested with a greater penalty. Ezra declares his purpose thus: "I proclaimed a fast that we might afflict ourselves before God." Now this is no further required, nor is it in this sense further useful, but that it be a trouble to the body, an act of judging and severity; and this is to be judged by proportion to the sorrow and indignation, as the sorrow is to the crime. But this affliction needs not to leave any remanent effect upon the body; but such transient sorrow, which is consequent to the abstinence of certain times designed for the solemnity, is sufficient as to this purpose. Only it is to be renewed often, as our repentance must be habitual and lasting; but it may be commuted with other actions of severity and discipline, according to the customs of a church, or the capacity of the persons, or the opportunity of circumstances. But if the fasting be intended for mortification, then it is fit to be more severe and medicinal, by continuance, and quantity, and quality. To repentance, total abstinences without interruption, that is, during the solemnity, short and sharp, are most apt: but towards the mortifying a lust, those sharp and short fasts are not reasonable; but a diet of fasting, an habitual subtraction of nutriment from the body, a long and lasting austerity, increasing in degrees, but not violent in any. And in this sort of fasting we must be highly careful we do not violate a duty by fondness of an instrument; and because we intend fasting as a help to mortify the lust, let it not destroy the body, or retard the spirit, or violate our health, or impede us in any part of our necessary duty. As we must be careful that our fast be reasonable, serious, and apt to the end of our designs; so we must be curious, that by helping one duty uncertainly, it do not certainly destroy another. Let us do it like honest persons and just, without artifices and hypocrisy; but let us also do it like wise persons, that it be neither in itself unreasonable, nor, by accident, become criminal. 6. In the pursuance of this discipline of fasting, the doctors of the church and guides of souls have not unusefully prescribed other annexes and circumstances; as that all the other acts of deport ment be symbolical to our fasting. If we fast for mortification, let us entertain nothing of temptation, or semblance to invite a lust; no sensual delight, no freer entertainments of our body, to countenance or corroborate a passion. If we fast that we may pray the better, let us remove all secular thoughts for that time; for it is vain to alleviate our spirits of the burden of meat and drink, and to depress them with the loads of care. If for repentance we fast, let us be most curious that we do nothing contrary to the design of repentance, knowing that a sin is more contrary to repentance than fasting is to sin; and it is the greatest stupidity in the world to do that thing which I am now mourning for, and for which I do judgment upon myself. And let all our actions also pursue the same design, helping one instrument with another, and being so zealous for the grace, that we take in all the aids we can to secure the duty. For to fast from flesh, and to eat delicate fish; not to eat meat, but to drink rich wines freely; to be sensual in the objects of our other appetites, and restrained only in one; to have no dinner, and that day to run on hunting, or to play at cards; are not handsome instances of sorrow, or devotion, or self-denial. It is best to accompany our fasting with the retirements of religion, and the enlargements of charity, giving to others what we deny to ourselves. These are proper actions: and although not in every instance necessary to be done at the same time, (for a man may give his alms in other circumstances, and not amiss,) yet, as they are very convenient and proper to be joined in that society, so to do any thing contrary to religion or to charity, to justice or to piety, to the design of the person or the design of the solemnity, is to make that become a sin which, of itself, was no virtue, but was capable of being hallowed by the end and the manner of its execution. 7. This discourse hath hitherto related to private fasts, or else to fasts indefinitely. For, what rules soever every man is bound to observe in private, for fasting piously, the same rules the governors of a church are to intend, in their public prescription. And when once authority hath intervened, and proclaimed a fast, there is no new duty incumbent upon the private, but that we obey the circumstances, letting them to choose the time and the end for us : and though we must prevaricate neither, yet we may improve both; we must not go less, but we may enlarge; and when fasting is commanded only for repentance, we may also use it to prayers, and to mortification. And we must be curious that we do not obey the letter of the prescription, and violate the intention, but observe all that care in public fasts which we do in private; knowing that our private ends are included in the public, as our persons are in the communion of saints, and our hopes in the common inheritance of sons: and see that we do not fast in order to a purpose, and yet use it so as that it shall be to no purpose. Whosoever so fasts Nec monstravit tantùm, sed etiam præcessit, ne quis difficultatis gratiâ iter virtutis horreret.-LACTANT. Απαντές ἐσμεν εἰς τὸ νουθετεῖν σοφοί, as that it be not effectual in some degree towards the end, or so fasts that it be accounted, of itself, a duty and an act of religion, without order to its proper end, makes his act vain because it is unreasonable, or vain because it is superstitious. THE PRAYER. O holy and eternal Jesu, who didst, for our sake, fast forty days and forty nights, and hast left to us thy example, and thy prediction, that, in the days of thy absence from us, we, thy servants, and children of thy bride-chamber, should fast; teach us to do this act of discipline so, that it may become an act of religion. Let us never be like Esau, valuing a dish of meat above a blessing; but let us deny our appetites of meat and drink, and accustom ourselves to the yoke, and subtract the fuel of our lusts, and the incentives of all our unworthy desires: that, our bodies being free from the intemperances of nutriment, and our spirits from the load and pressure of appetite, we may have no desires but of thee; that our outward man, daily decaying by the violence of time, and mortified by the abatements of its too free and unnecessary support; it may, by degrees, resign to the entire dominion of the soul, and may pass from vanity to piety, from weakness to ghostly strength, from darkness and mixtures of impurity to great transparences and clarity, in the society of a beatified soul, reigning with thee, in the glories of eternity, O holy and eternal Jesu. Amen. DISCOURSE XIV. Of the Miracles which Jesu wrought, for Confirmation of his Doctrine, during the whole Time of his Preaching. 1. WHEN Jesus had ended his sermon on the mount, he descended into the valleys, to consign his doctrine, by the power of miracles, and the excellency of a rare example; that he might not lay a yoke upon us which himself also would not bear. But as he became "the author," so also "the finisher of our faith;" what he designed in proposition, he represented in his own practice; a and by these acts made a new sermon, teaching all prelates and spiritual persons to descend from their eminence of contemplation, and the authority and business of their discourses, to apply themselves to do more material and corporal mercies to afflicted persons, and to preach by example, as well as by their homilies. For he that teaches others well, and practises contrary, is like a fair candlestick, bearing a goodly and bright taper, which sends forth light to all the house, but round about itself there is a shadow and circumstant darkness. The prelate should be "the Ennodius in vitâ Epiphanii: Pingebat actibus suis paginam quam legisset; et quod liber docuerat, vita signabat. light," consuming and spending itself, to enlighten others; scattering his rays round about, from the angles of contemplation, and from the corners of practice; but himself always tending upwards, till at last he expires into the element of love and celestial fruition. 2. But the miracles which Jesus did, were next to infinite; and every circumstance of action that passed from him, as it was intended for mercy, so also for doctrine; and the impotent or diseased persons were not more cured than we instructed. But, because there was nothing in the actions, but what was a pursuance of the doctrines delivered in his sermons, in the sermon we must look after our duty, and look upon his practice as a verification of his doctrine, and instrumental also to other purposes. Therefore, in general, if we consider his miracles, we shall see that he did design them to be a compendium of faith and charity. For he chose to instance his miracles in actions of mercy, that all his powers might especially determine upon bounty and charity; and yet his acts of charity were so miraculous, that they became an argument of the divinity of his person and doctrine. Once he turned water into wine, which was a mutation by a supernatural power, in a natural suscipient, where a person was not the subject, but an element; and yet this was done to rescue the poor bridegroom from affront and trouble, and to do honour to the holy rite of marriage. All the rest, (unless we except his walking upon the waters,) during his natural life, were actions of relief and mercy, according to the design of God, manifesting his power most chiefly in showing mercy. 3. The great design of miracles was to prove his mission from God, to convince the world of sin, to demonstrate his power of forgiving sins, to endear his precepts; and that his disciples "might believe in him, and that believing they might have life through his name."c For he, to whom God, by doing miracles gave testimony from heaven, must needs be sent from God; and he who had received power to restore nature, and to create new organs, and to extract from incapacities, and from privations to reduce habits, was Lord of nature, and, therefore, of all the world. And this could not but create great confidence in his disciples, that himself would verify those great promises, upon which he established his law. But that the argument of miracles might be infallible, and not apt to be reproved, we may observe its eminence by divers circumstances of probability, heightened up to the degree of moral demonstration. in both the temples, put all together, never did so many or so great miracles as Jesus did. He cured leprous persons by his touch; he restored sight to the blind, who were such not by any intervening accident, hindering the act of the organ, but by nature, who were "born blind," and whose eyes had not any natural possibility to receive sight; who could never see without creating of new eyes for them, or some integral part co-operating to vision; and, therefore, the miracle was wholly an effect of a Divine power, for nature did not at all co-operate; or, that I may use the elegant expression of Dante, it was such à cui natura Non scaldò ferro mai, ne battè ancude, for which nature never did heat the iron, nor beat 5. Secondly: The scene of his preaching and miracles was Judea, which was the pale of the church, and God's enclosed portion, " of whom were the oracles and the fathers, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ was to come," and to whom he was promised. Now, since these miracles were for verification of his being the Christ, the promised Messias, they were then to be esteemed a convincing argument; when all things else concurring, as the predictions of the prophets, the synchronisms, and the capacity of his person, he brought miracles to attest himself to be the person so declared and signified. God would not suffer his people to be 4. First: The holy Jesus" did miracles which abused by miracles, nor from heaven would speak no man" (before him, or at that time) "ever did." d so loud, in testimony of any thing contrary to his Moses smote the rock, and water gushed out; but own will and purposes. They to whom he gave the he could not turn that water into wine. Moses oracles, and the law, and the predictions of the cured no diseases, by the empire of his will, or the Messias, and declared beforehand, that at the comword of his mouth; but Jesus "healed all infirmi-ing of the Messias "the blind should see, the lame ties." Elisha raised a dead child to life; but Jesus raised one who had been dead four days, and buried, and corrupted. Elias, and Samuel, and all the prophets, and the succession of the high priests should walk, and the deaf should hear, the lepers should be cleansed, and to the poor the gospel should be preached,"e could not expect a greater conviction for acceptation of a person, than, when e Isa. xxxv. 5, 6. Matt. xi. 5. d John xv. 24. that happened, which God himself, by his prophets, | upon the stage of Palestine, all things were quiet, had consigned as his future testimony; and if there and at rest from prodigy and wonder; nay, John the could have been deception in this, it must needs Baptist, who, by his excellent sanctity and austerihave been inculpable in the deceived person, to ties, had got great reputation to his person and docwhose error a Divine prophecy had been both nurse trines, yet" did no miracle ;" and no man else did and parent. So that, taking the miracles Jesus any, save some few exorcists among the Jews cured did, in that conjunction of circumstances, done to some demoniacs and distracted people. So that, in that people to whom all their oracles were trans- this silence, a prophet, appearing with signs and mitted by miraculous verifications; miracles so wonders, had nothing to lessen the arguments, no many, so great, so accidentally, and yet so regular- opposite of like power, or appearances of a contraly, to all comers and necessitous persons that prayed dictory design. And, therefore, it persuaded infifor it, after such predictions and clearest prophecies, nitely, and was certainly operative upon all persons, and these prophecies owned by himself, and sent, whose interest and love of the world did not destroy by way of symbol and mysterious answer, to John the piety of their wills, and put their understanding the Baptist, to whom he described his office, by re- into fetters. And Nicodemus, a doctor of the law, counting his miracles in the words of the predic- being convinced, said, "We know that thou art a tion; there cannot be any fallibility or weakness doctor sent from God; for no man can do those pretended to this instrument of probation, applied, things which thou doest, unless God be with him."f in such circumstances, to such a people, who, being | But when the devil saw what great affections and dear to God, would be preserved from invincible confidences these miracles of Christ had produced deceptions; and, being commanded by him to ex- in all persons, he too late strives to lessen the argupect the Messias in such an equipage of power and ment, by playing an after-game; and weakly endeademonstration of miracles, were, therefore, not de- vours to abuse vicious persons, (whose love to their ceived, nor could they, because they were bound to sensual pleasures was of power to make them take accept it. any thing for argument to retain them,) by such low, few, inconsiderable, uncertain, and suspicious instances, that it grew to be the greatest confirmation and extrinsical argument in behalf of religion, that either friend or foe, upon his own industry, could have represented. Such as were the making an image speak, or fetching fire from the clouds; and that the images of Diana, Cyndias, and Vesta, among the Jasiæans, would admit no rain to wet them, or cloud to darken them; and that the bodies of them who entered into the temple of Jupiter, in Arcadia, would cast no shadow: which things Polybius himself, one of their own superstition, laughs at, as impostures, and says they were no way to be excused, unless the pious purpose of the inventors did take off from the malice of the lie. But the miracles of Jesus were confessed, and wondered at, by Josephus; were published to all the world by his own disciples, who never were accused, much less convicted, of forgery; and they were acknowledged by Celsush and Julian, the greatest enemies of Christ. 6. Thirdly So that now we must not look upon these miracles as an argument primarily intended to convince the gentiles, but the Jews. It was a high probability to them also, and so it was designed also, in a secondary intention; but it could not be an argument to them so certain, because it was destitute of two great supporters. For they neither believed the prophets, foretelling the Messias to be such, nor yet saw the miracles done; so that they had no testimony of God beforehand, and were to rely upon human testimony for the matter of fact; which, because it was fallible, could not infer a necessary conclusion, alone and of itself, but it put on degrees of persuasion, as the testimony had degrees of certainty or universality; that they also “which see not, and yet have believed," might " be blessed." And, therefore, Christ sent his apostles to convert the gentiles, and supplied, in their case, what in his own could not be applicable, or so concerning them. For he sent them to do miracles in the sight of the nations, that they might not doubt the matter of fact; and prepared them also with a prophecy, foretelling that they should do the same, and greater miracles than he did. They had greater prejudices to contest against, and a more unequal distance from belief, and aptnesses to credit such things; therefore it was necessary that the apostles should do greater miracles, to remove the greater mountains of objection. And they did so; and by doing it in pursuance and testimony of the ends of Christ and christianity, verified the fame and celebrity of their Master's miracles, and represented to all the world his power, and his veracity, and his Divinity. 7. Fourthly For when the holy Jesus appeared f John iii. 2. : g Lib. xvi. Hist. Η Ενομίσατε αὐτὸν εἶναι υἱὸν Θεοῦ, ἐπεὶ χωλοὺς καὶ τυ φλοὺς ἐθεράπευσε; dixit Celsus apud Origen. · Ει μή τις οἴεται τοὺς κυλλοὺς καὶ τυφλοὺς ἰασάσθαι, καὶ 8. But further yet, themselves gave it out, that one Caius was cured of his blindness by Esculapius, and so was Valerius Aper; and at Alexandria, Vespasian cured a man of the gout by treading upon his toes, and a blind man with spittle. And when Adrian, the emperor, was sick of a fever, and would have killed himself, it is said, two blind persons were cured by touching him, whereof one of them told him that he also should recover. But although Vespasian, by the help of Apollonius Tyaneus, who was his familiar, who also had the devil to be his, might do any thing within the power of nature, or by permission might do much more; yet, besides that this was of an uncertain and less credible report, if it δαιμονιῶντας ἐξορκίζειν, τῶν μεγίστων ἔργων εἶναι, &c.JULIAN. apud Cyril. lib. vi. k Spartianus in Adriano; qui addit, Marium Maximum dixisse hæc facta fuisse per simulationem. had been true, it was also infinitely short of what | dom; either of which declares, that the power of Christ did, and was a weak, silly imitation, and casting out devils is a testimony of God, and a prousurping of the argument, which had already pre-bation of the divinity of a doctrine, and a proper vailed upon the persuasions of men, beyond all argument of christianity. possibility of confutation. And for that of Adrian to have reported it is enough to make it ridiculous; and it had been a strange power to have cured two blind persons, and yet be so unable to help himself, as to attempt to kill himself, by reason of anguish, impatience, and despair. 9. Fifthly: When the Jews and Pharisees believed not Christ for his miracles, and yet perpetually called for a sign, he refused to give them a sign, which might be less than their prejudice, or the persuasions of their interest; but gave them one, which alone is greater than all the miracles which ever were done, or said to be done, by any antichrist, or the enemies of the religion put all together: a miracle which could have no suspicion of imposture; a miracle without instance, or precedent, or imitation: and that is, Jesus's lying in the grave three days and three nights, and then rising again, and appearing to many, and conversing for forty days together; giving probation of his rising, of the verity of his body; making a glorious promise, which at Pentecost was verified, and speaking such things, which became precepts and parts of the law for ever after. : 10. Sixthly I add two things more to this consideration. First, that the apostles did such miracles, which were infinitely greater than the pretensions of any adversary, and inimitable by all the powers of man or darkness. They raised the dead, they cured all diseases by their very shadow passing by, and by the touch of garments; they converted nations, they foretold future events, they themselves spake with tongues, and they gave the Holy Ghost by imposition of hands, which enabled others to speak languages which immediately before they understood not, and to cure diseases, and to eject devils. Now, supposing miracles to be done by gentile philosophers and magicians after ; yet when they fall short of these in power, and yet teach a contrary doctrine, it is a demonstration that it is a lesser power, and, therefore, the doctrine not of Divine authority and sanction. And it is remarkable, that, among all the gentiles, none ever reasonably pretended to a power of casting out devils. For the devils could not get so much by it, as things then stood and besides, in whose name should they do it, who worshipped none but devils and false gods? which is too violent presumption, that the devil was the architect in all such buildings. And when the seven sons of Sceva,' who was a Jew, (amongst whom it was sometimes granted to cure demoniacs,) offered to exorcise a possessed person, the devil would by no means endure it, but beat them for their pains. And although it might have been for his purpose to have enervated the reputation of St. Paul, and, by a voluntary cession, equalled St. Paul's enemies to him, yet either the devil could not go out but at the command of a christian, or else to have gone out would have been a disservice and ruin to his king ! Acts xix. 11. Seventhly: But, besides this, I consider, that the holy Jesus, having first possessed, upon just title, all the reasonableness of human understanding by his demonstration of a miraculous power, in his infinite wisdom knew that the devil would attempt to gain a party by the same instrument, and therefore so ordered it, that the miracles which should be done, or pretended to, by the devil, or any of the enemies of the cross of Christ, should be a confirmation of christianity, not do it disservice: for he foretold that antichrist and other enemies “should come in prodigies, and lying wonders and signs." Concerning which, although it may be disputed whether they were truly miracles, or mere deceptions and magical pretences; yet, because they were such which the people could not discern from miracles really such, therefore it is all one, and in this consideration they are to be supposed such: but, certainly, he that could foretell such a future contingency, or such a secret of predestination, was able also to know from what principle it came; and we have the same reason to believe that antichrist shall do miracles to evil purposes, as that he shall do any at all; he that foretold us of the man, foretold us also of the imposture, and commanded us not to trust him. And it had been more likely for antichrist to prevail upon christians by doing no miracles, than by doing any: for if he had done none, he might have escaped without discovery; but by doing miracles, as he verified the wisdom and prescience of Jesus, so he declared to all the church that he was the enemy of their Lord, and therefore less likely to deceive: for which reason it is said, that "he shall deceive, if it were possible, the very elect;" that is therefore not possible, because that by which he insinuates himself to others, is by the elect, the church and chosen of God, understood to be his sign and mark of discovery, and a warning. And, therefore, as the prophecies of Jesus were an infinite verification of his miracles, so also this prophecy of Christ concerning antichrist disgraces the reputation and faith of the miracles he shall act. The old prophets foretold of the Messias, and of his miracles of power and mercy, to prepare for his reception and entertainment: Christ alone, and his apostles from him, foretold of antichrist, and that he should come in all miracles of deception and lying; that is, with true or false miracles to persuade a lie: and this was to prejudice his being accepted, according to the law of Moses. So that, as all that spake of Christ, bade us believe him for the miracles; so all that foretold of antichrist, bade us disbelieve him the rather for his: and the reason of both is the same, because the mighty and "surer word of prophecy,” as St. Peter calls it, being the greatest testimony in the world of a Divine principle, gives authority, or reprobates, with the same power. They who are the predestinate of God, and they that are the præsciti, the foreknown and marked people, must m Deut. xiii. 1-3. |