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fuch Restraint will ufually, for the Time, lower our Paffions into fome good Measure of Composedness, and make our Sorrow for Sin humbler and deeper: on both which Accounts Fafting is called in Scripture, afflicting the Soul". For it mortifies the Defires of the fenfitive Part, and enlivens the Remorfe of the rational. By thefe Means, it may contribute much to render our Faith of invisible Things more lively, and our Devotions more fervent: for which Reason Fasting is always understood in Scripture, and always ought in Practice, to be accompanied by Prayer. And in Proportion as it qualifies us to pray as we ought, it affures us of obtaining our Requests; whether they be for averting God's Judgements, or deriving his Mercies upon us, in our public Capacity or private.

But farther yet, Fafting not only affifts Humiliation and Devotion, but is in other Ways alfo friendly to Virtue. Inflicting it on ourfelves as a Penalty, when we have been guilty of any great Sin, will contribute greatly, and yet with perfect Safety, if it be done with Difcretion, to our becoming weary and afraid of finning. Accordingly St. Paul speaks of

m If. lviii. 3, 5.

Self

Self-punishment, as a very useful and beneficial Fruit of true Repentance. For behold, your forrowing after a godly Sort, what Carefulness it wrought in you; yea, what Zeal; yea, what Revenge". But efpecially, if we have been feduced into unlawful Pleafures of Sense, or even are in Danger of it only, Fasting is peculiarly medicinal: withdraws the Fewel from irregular Defires; proves to us by Experience, and ftrengthens by Ufe, our Ability of bridling our natural Appetities; and fo prevents our undoing ourselves, by trusting vainly to the Plea of human Infirmity, as an Excufe for deliberate Tranfgreffion, or fupine -Negligence. Exercises of moderate Hardship add a Vigour to the Mind: and were on that Account recommended even by heathen Moralists, as teaching Contempt of low Gratifications, and of the Wealth that minifters to them; of the Blandishments of Luxury, and the falfe Elegance of effeminate Politeness. But far ftronger Inducements have we Chriftians to take the most effectual Methods for exalting our Souls above thefe Things: as we know, to a much higher Degree of Certainty, that the carnal Mind is Enmity against

2. Cor. vii. 11.

• Arr. Epict. 1. 3. c. 12. and c. 14.

God; that they, who live in Pleasure, are dead whilst they live; and that by detaching our Affections properly from Things on Earth, we shall attain the Bleffednefs of Heayen r.

Nor will Fafting contribute only to mortify our Fondness for fenfual Indulgences; but also to abate the Impetuofity of vehement Spirits; and that Pride of Heart, which the Prophet Ezekiel, in the Cafe of Sodom and Jerufalem, connects with Fulness of Bread. We often find the fame Perfons, when pampered into luxuriant Health, overbearing, impatient of Contradiction, outrageous in Anger, who, when voluntary or necessary Abstinence hath reduced them to a calmer State of Mind, are confiderate, reasonable, and humane. But particularly it inspires Humanity and Compaffion to the Poor. For it gives us Experience, from Time to Time, of what they are often forced to feel and not only reminds all Perfons, but better enables thofe of middling Circumstances, by leffening now and then their Expences on themselves, to relieve the Wants of their indigent Brethren: for which Rea

P Rom. viii. 7. • Ezek. xvi. 49.

1 Tim. v. 6.

Col. iii. 1. &c.

fon

fon the Prophet Ifaiah fuppofes it attended by doing every Act of Equity and Mercy, but especially giving of Alms; and introduces God himself faying: Is not this the Faft, that I have chofen? to loofe the Bands of Wickedness, to undo the heavy Burthens, to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every Yoke? Is it not to deal thy Bread to the hungry; and that thou bring the Poor, that are caft out, to thy Houfe; when thou feeft the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own Flesh"?

These are some of the spiritual Benefits, for I omit to mention the corporeal ones, though very confiderable, which recommend Fafting. And furely they are at least sufficient to keep every Pretender to Seriousness from deriding it, or thinking meanly of fuch as practise it. Though any one may judge, or find, it ever so useless to himself; yet he cannot well know what it may be to others. be to others. And therefore, the Rule of Scripture is in this Sense perfectly juft: Let not him, that eateth, defpife him, that eateth not". If he doth, his Contempt may

* If. lviii. 6, 7. Hence Hermas directs, lib. Money faved by Fafting be given to the Poor. • Rom. xiv. 3.

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light on Characters of the highest Eminence in Wisdom and Goodness; as it happened in the Cafe of the Royal Pfalmift: The Reproaches of them, that reproached thee, are fallen upon me. I wept, and chaftened my Soul with Fafting; and that was turned to my Reproof.

But as we ought, by all the Prudence we can, to spare others the Guilt, and ourselves the Uneafinefs and Provocation, of fuch unkind Treatment: fo we fhould be yet more careful not to deferve it in any Degree: and should therefore take diligent Notice, that the Text contains,

II. A Caution against using this Practice amifs. Our Saviour indeed prohibits expressly no other Abuses, than fuch as Hypocrites committed: and mentions, of those, only one in particular. But as he certainly meant that, merely for a Specimen of many; and defigned, that all should be avoided; it will be useful to fet before you others alfo, moft of which are condemned exprefsly fomewhere in the Word of God: and all implicitly here.

Fafting is a Duty, not for its own Sake:

* Pf. lxix. 9, 10,

for

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