Today’s post contains excerpts from a most godly sermon with likely the longest title ever.
“A most godly sermon preached at St. Albons in Woodstreet on Sunday last being the 10 of October 1641: showing the necessity of self-denial and humiliation by prayer and fasting before the Lord in regard of the present plague we now lie under: which God in His good time remove from amongst us.”
“The first lesson is the A. B. C. that Christ teacheth us in his school, is this, for a man to deny himself, and so is it also the highest task that is set to any… The next thing, is the duty we owe to our neighbor, as of charity, of equity, of mercy…
A Christian must deny himself [or herself] in pleasure and delight, even the delights of meat and drink, and lawful recreation, which are in themselves lawful meat and drink in a continual moderation, keeping himself [or herself] from excess, and sometimes in a total abstinence for a time…
Sometime we should wholly abstain from [human contact] as for the removal of some calamity we lie under, or to prevent a calamity coming upon us, or to procure a blessing to be fitter for some good duties… Fasting keeps the spirit of prayer awake.”
Henry Burton (1578-1648) in A Most Godly Sermon… (London: B. Alsop, 1641).
Generosity in a time of plague comes into view as denying ourselves which positions us to serve others with charity, equity, and mercy. That means we do it with love, we don’t pick favorites, and we actually extend care to those the world has labeled as undeserving.
How are you extending charity, equity, and mercy in your giving? It may be monetary in nature, that is, financial sharing with those in need. Or it could also be interpersonal in nature, in other words, reaching out to many people by email or text, not just your family or close friends.
For those with more than enough resources, it may mean sacrificing meals to aim at moderation and to have margin for sharing. Burton also suggested to maintain distance from human contact to prevent disease from spreading within a family and to keep the spirit of prayer awake.
Social distance might be a fresh term but it’s behavior that God’s people have practiced during plagues for centuries. Deny yourself. Practice moderation. Prevent the spread of calamity. Commit to prayer with fasting. Why? “Fasting keeps the spirit of prayer awake.”