Alexander Henderson’s Sermons

Back to the index.

Preface

Of this Fast no trace is to be found in any of the histories of the period. Beyond what is here said of it nothing is known. Public Fasts were this year observed on June 3, July 22 and 29, September 16, and November 4, of all of which notice is taken by Baillie, (See vol. I., pp. 71, 93, 103, 111); but of any Fast on May 5 there is no intimation. It is probable, therefore, that this Fast was a local one, confined to Henderson’s own congregation, or to the Presbytery of which he was a member. May 9 this year was a Saturday. As, however, at this time, Fasts were usually observed on Sabbath, and as all the other Fasts observed this year, and enumerated above, were observed on that day, it is just possible that there may be a mistake here in the date, and that the 5th has been put for the 6th. On the other hand, the correctness of all the other dates in the volume, and the general correctness of the entire manuscript, are rather against the idea of there being any mistake in the present instance. In the following Preface a good deal is said as to the necessity and design of this Fast, which, in the absence of other sources of information with regard to it, will prove all the more interesting to the reader.

We may add, that the sermon preached on the afternoon of this day is that of which, as stated in the General Preface, there is a duplicate version in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh. A portion of the latter version is subjoined as a footnote to the other, that the reader may have an opportunity of comparing the two.

Ye may marvel, perhaps, at least some of you who are not well acquainted with matters, how they go among us, what should be the reason that there is so frequent fasting and humiliation, and afflicting of our bodies and spirits among us in publick. Ye know that which the Lord says to his people Israel; “Because,” says he, “ye have not kept my law, and have not kept my sabbaths, nor given unto the land her years of rest, as I did command you, therefore I shall recompense your doings: I shall lead you into captivity, and ye shall remain there seventy years; and when ye are there, against your heart and against your will ye shall be forced to rest upon my sabbaths; and the land shall find her rest also.” Beloved, God has commanded us in his word to humble ourselves often before him, and to afflict our souls; and it was wont to be the laudable custom of this nation and kirk wherein we live; and these days of publick humiliation and fasting, they have been very powerful, both for holding off us deserved judgments, and bringing down upon us undeserved blessings.1 But these years past scarce has been a day of solemn humiliation throughout this land2, and when there has been any, it has been rather a stolen fast than publick, avowed and professed openly, as it ought to be. Some of the Lord’s own secret once, they behoved to be told in private of it,—they might not be warned in publick; so that the most part knew not of it.3 Now, because we neglected this so necessary a duty of fasting, humiliation, and afflicting of our souls, when the Lord was calling us to it, very deservedly the Lord might have forced us to humble ourselves, and to afflict our souls, by his heavy judgments and his sore wrath poured out upon us. And therefore, if the Lord in his indulgence has been pleased to spare us, for all this, and to give us a desire of voluntar humiliation, that so great judgments may be holden off us, which we deserve, and that we may be partakers of great blessings whereof we stand in need, then it becomes us frequently to convene to this work, and to be about it with all our heart, mind, and strength; and to humble ourselves in sincerity for our sins, and beseech him that he would hold his deserved judgments off us, and most earnestly entreat him, that he would finish the good work that he has begun among us. But it is too much that he has spared us so long, and done so much as he has done; for the Lord’s hand might have been lying heavy and sore upon us long or (ere) now, either by famine, pestilence, or sword; and so forced us to humiliation by some of these, or by them all. And therefore, since that the Lord deals thus indulgently with us, happy were we if we could draw near to him in time, that so all these might be prevented.

A second cause wherefore humiliation is, is because of manifold sins. We have entered in a covenant with God, and made a confession of our faith with our mouths, and with our hands many of us have subscribed it; but it is to be feared that there be few of us who understands what God has promised to do to his people who are in covenant with him, or understands what it is that we have vowed to do to him. And this is a fearful guiltiness, that with our lips and our hands we should draw near to the Lord, and yet in the meantime our hearts should be ignorant of him. There are too many, I fear, (and it is objected to us by our adversars), who has sworn to this, and put to their hands to it, who knows not the meaning of the several articles thereof; ay, very many. Yea, many who has put to their hand to it, if they were required to give a confession of the articles of the Creed, which all profess to believe, they would be found to be very ignorant of the meaning of these.

A third reason of our humiliation at this time is,—We have gone very far on into this matter, but our doing in a manner is but private as yet, for it is not countenanced nor confirmed by those who are in authority; and this is the thing that we earnestly desire,—that religion may be set in purity in the land, and may have the countenance of authority in Assembly and Parliament authorizing it. If the Lord shall be pleased to heap-to this favour to all the rest that he has already bestowed upon us, then we may say that we are a happy and a blessed nation indeed, who did not deserve such a thing at his hand. What are we that the Lord should choose such a poor, unworthy, yea such a wicked people as we are, and pass by these who are more might and potent everyway in the world, and that he should choose to fix his habitation among us? That when his people seeks to him, he is found of them, and answers them; and then, when the Lord is speaking to them, they know that it is the Lord who speaks, and hears and obeys his voice, that is a very great and incomparable favour.

Therefore, since that the Lord has dealt thus mercifully with us, that whereas we might have been afflicted with heavy plagues, yet he has spared us, and is calling us to consider of our sins, and to consider also what great things we stand in need of; therefore it were very meet and convenient for us, that we should now humble ourselves, and afflict our souls before the Lord. Now, it is not possible that either we can be sanctified when need is, or that we can be rightly humbled, or afflict ourselves, except the Lord work the work by his Spirit: and therefore let us now fall down before the Lord, and crave his special blessing and presence to this exercise, that we may find that which this day we are seeking, through Jesus Christ.

  1. In the “Booke of the Universall Kirk of Scotland,” which contains the records of the Church from 1560 to 1602, numerous instances of Fasts occur, appointed by the General Assembly to be observed throughout the country. One of these is appointed in the following terms, which harmonize exactly with what Henderson here says in regard to them. “The Generall Assemblie of the kirk of this realme, considering the grit abundance of iniquitie overflowing universallie the haill face of this commoneweill, now in so great licht and revelation of the trew and Christiane religione, justly provocking and steiring up the justice and equitie of God to take judgement and vengeance on this unworthie nation; Seeing also the many and perilous strifes and raiges of persecutione daily invading the kirk and spouse of Jesus Christ, the sound and extreame troubles of the trew and zealous members thereof in the parts of France and elsewhere, professing with them one Saviour, Lord, and Messias, the wark also of establishing a perfyte order and policie in the kirk being presently in hands, has thocht it good, for the same reasones and good causes, that earnest and speedy recourse shall be had to God, with commone supplicationes and prayers; And to that effect a general fast be observed universallie, throughout all the kirks of the realme, with doctrine and instruction to the people, to begine the secund Sonday of July nixt to come, qwhich is the ninth day thereof, and to continue to the nixt Sonday thereafter, wsing, in the meanetyme, exercise of doctrine according to the accustomit order; and to that effect, that intimation be made by the Commissioners of countries to the ministers within their bounds, as appertaines.” Thirty-Fifth General Assemblie—Sessio. 9, 1577
  2. Vide Supra p. 2, note
  3. “Bellygod bishops has little will of that work by any, and they have little witt, if they devise not somewhat either to frustrate the fast or delay it.” Row, 333. “Sure our bishops loves no fasting, and evill (they say) is good afrist,” i.e., the longer it is put off the better. The editor has unhappily spoiled the author’s point by transcribing on frust for afrist. With regard to the private fasts, we learn from Guthrie that on the first Sabbath of every quarter the minister gave private notice to as many of his congregation as he could depend on.