1. THere wanteth in England and Ireland at this day more then fifteen thou­sand Preachers, as will ea­sily appear, if the unwor­thy be all put out, and the numbers of Churches, Chappels, Noble Families, Armies, Navies, forraign Plantations, and where Merchants have setled tra­dings, be all reckoned up.

2. When people use not the means to [Page 2] prevent spirituall famine, God usually sendeth corporall famine, Hag. chap. 1. and chap. 2. And when they provide to have plenty of spirituall food, God ( Ma­lach. 3.) biddeth them prove him if hee will not send them plenty of corporall food: Prov. 3.9, 10. honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. 2 Sam. 24.25. And David built there an Altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, so the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed. This was the Lords prescri­ption then for the cure of the pesti­lence.

3. Nature teacheth every man and wo­man to give of their meat to such as be ready to starve; and Grace much more: Luke 3.11. And hee that hath meat, let him doe likewise. Isa. 58.7. Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry? Rom. 12.20. There­fore if thine enemie hunger, feed him. Mat. 25.42. I was an hungry, and yee gave mee [Page 3] meat. And our Saviour ( Mark 3.4.) maketh it all one not to save life, and to kill. But what is feeding of bodies, compared to feeding of souls? or sa­ving of lives, to saving of hunger-star­ved soules? If Paul (2 Cor. 8.) begged to save poor saints lives, ought not all Ministers much more to beg of their people to save poor souls? If Dives, Luk. 16. went to hell for not refreshing Lazarus his body with the crums which fell under his table; what hope can they have to goe to heaven, that will not give one meale in a week to save many souls? And if, as Haggi, Malachie, and Paul have done, Ministers will not preach and presse this duty at this time, how will they answer it to God another day? and thereupon if the people will not doe it, are not their gods their bel­lies, as Paul ( Phil. 3.19.) sheweth them? All parents that are not unnaturall, have a provident care how their little chil­dren shall live if they survive them, and bethink themselves who shall bring them up: and all parents that be more [Page 4] then carnall, will provide not onely Gardians for their children, that they may the better live temporally; but also Preachers that they may live eternally.

4. All other kinde of almes costeth a man something; but if the meale be forborn, and the value given, this gift costeth a man nothing: For example; suppose a man would forbear his Sab­bath dayes dinner, and onely take a ve­ry small refection at noon that day, (so much as might stay his stomack till night) and at supper deduct or abate as much as that refection came unto; behold how many blessings would come thereby: First, no work would be hin­dred thereby, (as perhaps, if this absti­nence were on a week-day, some would alledge). Secondly, some more might be at Gods publick worship, when none stayed at home for cooking of meats. Thirdly, all drowsinesse would be a­voyded, and many be much fitter in the afternoon to worship God. Fourthly, [Page 5] at supper, the rich man would have the poor mans stomack; and much meat, which is now cast away in many houses, would then be eaten: experience of this wee have in our monethly Fasts; for the fragments left the day before, are dainties upon the Fast-day at night; especially for the first course: verify­ing that which Solomon writeth, Prov. 27. ver. 7. The full soul loatheth the honey comb, but unto the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet.

5. God promiseth a man Deut. 15.10. for opening his hand wide, and giving to his poor brother but bodily reliefe, to blesse all that such a man putteth his hand unto: If so; O then how much more will God blesse him for his charity to many souls? And with what peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost might such a one, each Sabbath day at night, goe first to supper, and af­terward to bed, and yet do all this with­out expence of one half-peny?

Object. It is contrary to the nature [Page 6] of the Sabbath (which should be a day of rejoycing) to fast.

Answ. 1. Daniel, Chap. 9.3. and 10.3. fasted full three weeks; namely, each day from morning untill night, and at night did eat no pleasant bread, nor did flesh or wine come in his mouth, nei­ther did hee annoint himselfe all that while: in which space there must needs be three Sabbath-dayes; yet God was not offended, but greatly pleased with Daniel for this.

2. Wee have the like cause; for the seventy weeks of our Captivity are now also expired.

3. Wee fast not, but abstain some­what, and prepare to sanctifie the Sab­bath the better, and that our ordinary supper might be more then a feast unto us at night after wee have offered our dinners unto God in this service, and our praises and prayers in his publick worship. And perhaps, if the practice of the Jewes be well searched into, they did eat little or no dinners on their Sab­baths or Feast-dayes; but first feasted [Page 7] their soules, and after their bodies: as the Master first feasteth, but the servant when hee hath done.

4. Let us prove, if wee doe thus, whether our ordinary suppers shall not be blessed, and goe farther then other­wise they would, even as the five loaves and two fishes did. People often have such blessings, but too seldome doe ob­serve how the Lord doth make (many times) a little meat to fill many, and that much more at one time then at another.

5. When this objection is well ex­amined, perhaps it will appear to come out of the stomack and belly, rather then out of the head, or to have any weight of reason in it. Whatsoever some have written, and others said in their incogitancy, especially in regard that the abstinence here reasoned for (and a very small refection taken at noon) tendeth generally to the better sanctification of the Sabbath, which is the scope and end of the fourth Com­mandement: and whatsoever maketh [Page 8] for the better keeping of it, is virtually commanded in it. But if there be some few particular men and women, who (undeceived) find that feasting or eat­ing liberally doth more fit them to sanctifie a Sabbath; they, and they on­ly may take such libertie: but all o­thers doubtlesse shall doe better to eat so as may the better fit them for the ser­vices of the day.

Object. Yet the Divell, who would not have this to be done, will suggest, that the family will eat as much more at night as was spared at noon.

Answ. But that will not be so, if the Governours or Governesses of families doe their duties as (for the good of the Common-wealth, sparing of victuall, avoyding of famine, and causing plen­ty) they ought to doe: and may more easily do, then is done in besieged Ci­ties: for a man or woman may better proportion the victuall of an house, then a Governour can do it in a whole Citie; and yet wee have often seen that done in Cities by the Governours.

[Page 9] Object. But you will hardly get peo­ple to abstain.

Answ. 1. Yet it is a lesson worthie to be taught, learned and pactised.

2. The voluntary meale first yeeld­ed (after an Ordinance enforcing all to pay it) brought many families in Lon­don to observe it ever sithence; and our enemies in the Kings Quarters to do the like: And if this was done with­out Ministers pressing it in the pulpit, because people found the benefit; and hath been the cause that wee have had, and have at this day the more plenty, and England in some degree hath thereby been cured of her former gluttony: if Ministers hereafter doe their duties, and doe but urge these reasons (as they will, and many more) why may we not hope to bring the people willingly unto their good, that are too much disposed to novelties and new fashions, though in their own nature, and apparent reason they be so unprofitable and noxious?

3. In all godly families let the Governours but alledge these reasons, [Page 10] and then ask their children and servants if they will be contented to give their parts, and they shall find that none will deny it, lest those that be willing should make those ashamed that be unwilling; and these leading, the rest will follow, or may be driven: and this will be not onely no charge to the Governors, but a gain; for (if it become generall) it will make victuall so much cheaper; so that their money will be restored to them a­gain, as Jacobs sons were, Genes. 42.28. and with interest also, if afterwards by means thereof they pay lesse for vi­ctuall.

6. The mony thus raised is better both to Church and to Common-wealth, then if some forreign State gave it; for wee by this means not onely have it for no­thing, but have it as it were wrapped up also in so much victuall as by this means is saved.

7. When people have once learned this way of sparing, any famine foreseen, with [Page 11] Gods blessing may be prevented there­by. Suppose we had now but halfe so much vituals in England as would fur­nish us with two meals a day, until God sent us more, if betimes we did eat but one meal in a day, our victual would hold out until the Lord did relieve us.

8. The poorer any one is, the more reason he hath to give a meal, if this may be a means to prevent dearth; for fa­mine killeth the poor, before it killeth the rich; and the poorest of all first of all.

9. It is a Godly policy in time of plenty to teach and to bring people to such a diet, that when need requireth they may save their lives by offering of it.

10. Solomon telleth us of a poore Wise­man Eccles. 9. that saved his City. But 2 Sam. 20. We read of the Wise-woman of Abel, that saved that City, when all [Page 12] the Wise-men in it either could not, or would not: Women (in London especi­ally) have the charge of meats in all Families: and are there no Godly and Wise-women that will undertake this work, and get a meal a week to be spa­red, and the value given, and promise and become sureties for God that he shall blesse so the meal in the barrel, and oyl in the cruse (I mean the rest of the victu­al in every house that doth so) that it shall go farther, and fatten also; as Da­niels and his fellows water and pulse did: This Christ will take to be more kind­nesse shewed unto him, then those Wo­mens ministring unto him of their sub­stance, Luk. 8. Also, if that Womans pouring the precious oyntment on his head Matth. 26. should be told for a memorial of her wheresoever the Go­spel should be preached, surely such wo­men as by this means shall procure main­tenance for poor Scholars at the Uni­versities, whereby Christ may have many more Ministers bred up, shall have a most honourable memorial [Page 13] wheresoever the Gospel shall hereafter be preached by such poor Scholars; yea by many thousands more.

Truly if men shall not stir herein, nor Ministers move them (which God for­bid) I shall pray that Women may doe this work, and have the honour there­of from men, and the reward thereof from God.

That Mother that like Hannah breedeth but one Samuel for the Lord, doubt lesse she shall not lose her reward: much lesse shall those Women that are the means of breeding and bringing up of multitudes of Samuels.

If all the Men and Women that were wise-hearted did▪ so cheerfully work with their hands for the Tabernacle in the time of the Law, that they wrought and brought too much, and were com­manded to bring no more: will men and women now for Gospel Tabernacles not do that which will ask but some of them a little labour, and none of them any cost at all, but be so pleasant and profitable as hath been shewed, and refuse the [Page 14] honour to be instrumental in the inlarge­ment of Christs Kingdom, and their own and their posterities temporal & eternal happines? But in this offering unto the Lord, Let none (as Ananias and Sa­phyra) keep back apart (by undervalu­ing their meal) but rather make God good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over; and then pray as Nehemiah, Nehem. 13.14. Re­member me O my God concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the House of my God, and for the Offices thereof: and then expect Gods blessing, and the like honour that Nehemiah hath had and shall have in all after Ages.