The force of Fatting. Sunday inLent. Berm, í. vpon him, thould beetempted, till he had armed it withfatting : Not that hee could incurreany daunger , but onely toteach vs howtoftandvpon our guard. 4lthanafusfayth,That theDeuill hath fubomedmany inthis life, tomake ¡how of beeing zealous ofyour welfare, and that they thould goe about toperfuade you, that you doe your felfe wrong in fafting,andthat it makesyou looke leave; andyellow,and fpoylesyour complexion. And as inParadife, hee perfuaded our Mother, by the Serpents infinuation,to eat of the forbiddenFruit ; fo now byhis fa&ors dothhe perfuade many to feafting, but none to fatting. Notable to this purpofe , is that Hiftorie ofthe Prophet whomc God fent to Bethel a- gainft King Jeroboam , giuiug him in charge , that hee thould neither cate nor drinke in that place. Heboldlydeliueredhis meffage , but durft notreceiue of theKing,that entertainment which heoffered him ; but as he returned home- ward,a felfeProrphet came foorth,&meeting him on the way,faid vntohim, I pray yedepart not hencewithout feeingofyourfriends,& receiuingfuchpoore cheereas wee canmakeyou.He told him thathe hadorder from God not todo it.Then fayd the felfe Prophet,I haue had a reuelationto thecontrarie.Inconclu- fion the true Prophet beeing deceiued by the falfeProphet, didease. But inhis journey home aLyonmet him, and killedhim. God aduifìnghim that had de- ceiuedhim,of this fad Accident. Whence I inferre , That if it werea fault in the true Prophet to eat, bygi- uing too light creditto thefalfeProphet; theoffencewill beenoleffe in you,by giuiug too calkbeleefe to Satans Agent, whoaduifeth thee,that thou fhouldit not fact. Secondly, if hee that beeingdecejued didBate; Bothdeferue the punifh- ment ofdeath , what (hall hee deferue,that diddeceiue him ? And therefore God didnotifie to the falfeProphet thedeathof thetrueProphet , to theend that the inequalitieóf thefin,might perfuadehim,whatkindofpuniflmient hee diddeferue. Thirdly , the true Prophet payd thepriceof his finne, with the loffeofhis life ; but by repentance he faued his Soule.Andone affured token thereofwas, that the Lyon ftoodby himandguarded his Body,till theyhad giuen it buriall. But the falfeProphet,hadmuch more to anfwere for,and agreater reckoningto make. For ifalight finne,were fo feuerely punifhed;how muchmore a greater? ThisDoctrine dothmuch concerne your cheu'rel-confciencePhifitions, who vpon eueiy light occafion giue licences for not fatting; &thofecockeringMo. thers, who will not fuller theirdaughters tofait, fearing it would fpoyle their colour, andmarre theircomplexion ; whereas inveriedeed,nothing dothmake thecountenance fo frefhand fo cleareas fattingdoth ; as thofeHi(tories ofbp dith, andthofeBabilonianchildren fufficientlyproue, whofe fattingmadetheir faces as faire, as if theyhad beene fo manyAngels. Fortiedayesandfertienights. Towhat end (will fome fay) ferueth fomuch fatting r Weeare notable toimitate thisatofour Sauiours. I anfwer, weeare to faitfor two refpeäs. Theone,That manyofour Sauioursmiracles ought ra- ther to beeadmired,thanimitated. The other, that by thishis fatting, he layd thereby a greater obligationvpon vs to ferue him ; andthat weemayby thofe poore faftsthat wekeepe,tbow therby,thatwemuch bothapproueand efteeme that longfact ofhis. Fleewas afterward bangrie. Theodoretfayth , That whenthe Deuill carne to . knowthat Chrift began togrow hungrie,hedidthen certainlyaffurehimfelf of vittorie.Philon difcourfingon the lifeofcfrfoRs,Thatforamanto fullerhunger and 79. Motiues to inóutevsto Fa(ting.
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