and obeying Him; and seeing that we can never arrive at the perfection of holiness, until we come to fasting altogether, we cannot surely but from thence conclude, that fasting must needs contribute much not only to our being, as near as we can, like to the Saints in Heaven, but likewise to our coming to them; and so, that the Fathers did not more commonly than truly observe, that as it was by eating that we were cast out of Paradise, so it is by fasting that we are restored to it.

Thus I have briefly touched upon some of those many arguments which might be produced to demonstrate the excellency and usefulness of fasting. I am very sensible that this will seem strange doctrine to many in our age, like those St. Chrysostom speaks of, who gooxńμATI TEXEIÓTNTos, under a pretence of greater light and perfection, look upon themselves as far above so low a dispensation as this is, and therefore indulge their appetites, and laugh at such pitiful, mean Christians as are forced to give themselves to fasting; and I fear many of you that hear me at this time are of the same mind, and therefore think that fasting perhaps may be very good and needful for others, but not at all for themselves.

35.

But what? Are you not commanded to fast as well as pray? And how come you to be disobliged from one duty more than from the other? Did not Christ Himself say, "That when He, the bridegroom, was taken from them, Luke 5. 34, then His disciples should fast?" And are not you in the number of His disciples? Hath not He, your Master, taught you how to fast, as well as how to pray, and to give your alms? And do you think that He would teach you any thing, but what you are bound to do? Nay, are you not therefore bound to do it, because He hath taught you it? Did not He Himself do it? Have not all the Saints both in the Old and New Testament, and in all ages ever since, given themselves to fasting? Did not St. Paul himself do so? And do you think yourselves more pure, more holy, more perfect than St. Paul was?

Men and brethren, I heartily wish that every soul here present was so, even that you were all greater Saints, more eminent Christians than that great, that eminent Apostle himself was; that you were all so free from vice, so full of

SERM. XXXIX.

grace, so sure of Heaven, that you had not that occasion as he had to keep your bodies under, lest after all, you be castaways! That you had all got that perfect conquest over yourselves, and lusts, as never more to be inclined or tempted to sin or vanity; then I must confess you would not have so much need of fasting, as St. Paul had, and therefore might be better excused from it than he was.

But I beseech you not to flatter yourselves, with such groundless conceits as these are, as if you were more holy and spiritual than St. Paul was. Do but deal faithfully with yourselves, and you cannot but believe that you come far short of him in every point, in your love to God, in your faith in Christ, in your zeal for the Gospel, in every true Christian grace and virtue whatsoever; and therefore you must needs acknowledge, that if he, one of the strongest, most pious and famous Christians that ever lived upon the face of the earth; if he, I say, was forced to keep his body under, and to bring it into subjection by fasting, lest after all he should be a cast-away; certainly you have all the reason in the world to fear, that you should be cast-aways indeed, unless you do so.

Do but consider these things seriously, and I am confident you will not blame, but thank our Church for putting you in mind of this great duty: you will admire her prudence, and commend her care of those that live in her communion, in that she, in conformity to the Primitive and Universal Church, hath appointed several days every year for the performance of this duty, which otherwise you would be too apt to forget; and although some may think them too many, yet the greatest part of Christians in the world would rather judge them to be too few; especially those that live in the East, for they observe many more; but our Church in this as in all other things, keeps still in the mean; and therefore besides the nights or Eves before some holy days, she hath appointed for days of fasting or abstinence only one day every week, to wit, Friday, which hath always been observed in the Church. One week in every quarter, viz. Ember Week, in imitation of the Apostles, who always fasted before they ordained any to the ministry: and lastly, the three Rogation Days, and this great fast of Lent once

every year, which was observed, if not by the Apostles themselves, yet at least by Apostolical men, or those who lived in the very next ages to the Apostles, and so hath been continued as a time of fasting by all Churches in all ages and places ever since; which questionless would not have been, had not Christians all along found extraordinary benefit and advantage by it; and I do not doubt in the least, but that if all you that hear me at this time would be persuaded to observe all these fasts as you ought to do, you would find yourselves otherguess Christians at the year's end, than you are now; for supposing you to be always temperate, without which you deserve not to be called Christians, and besides that, to observe these several fasts as they recur; as your constant temperance would keep your bodies always in health, so your frequent abstinence would keep them always under, and bring them into subjection to your souls; by which means you would be every day more averse from your former lust, more inclined to God and goodness, more capable of His Divine illuminations and assistances, more ready and able to serve God here, and more fit to go to Heaven and enjoy Him for ever.

Now these things being duly weighed, you cannot surely but look upon yourselves, as concerned in interest as well as duty, to fast; and therefore cannot but be very solicitous to know how you may do it aright, even so as to make it effectual to the purposes aforesaid; which therefore I shall endeavour to resolve you in, as briefly as I can, for which end we must first know in general, that there can be no certain rules laid down as necessary to be observed by all men in this case; for some require more fasting, some less, some none at all, even such as are weak and sickly, for to them their sickness supplies the use of fasting, in keeping their bodies under: hence it is that we commonly see sickly people have a deeper sense of God and religion, than others, because their bodies, by reason of their often infirmities, are constantly kept in subjection to their souls; and they also who are of strong and healthful constitutions, are not bound to abstain for any long time from any manner of food, but only from such both for quantity and quality, as is apt to pamper the body, and to make it rebel against the soul;

XXXIX.

SERM. and if we do but attain the end of fasting, even to keep our bodies under, and bring them into subjection to the soul, we need not, we ought not to be too scrupulous about other things.

This being premised in general, I think it is not amiss to mind you of some particular rules which I think necessary to be observed, in order to the attaining our ends in fasting.

1. Make no distinction at such times betwixt flesh and fish, as the Papists do, who if they do but abstain from flesh, and what proceeds from it, think they fast sufficiently, how much soever they eat or drink of other things; but neither the Scriptures, nor the Primitive Church ever observed any such distinction, neither doth it consist with the nature and end of fasting; but the old Catholic way was, that when they fasted they abstained from all manner of food until the evening, and still observed Daniel's rule, who when he fasted Dan. 10. 3. "eat no pleasant" or desirable “food, neither did flesh nor wine come into his mouth." This the Primitive Christians observed very strictly, that when they fasted they eat neither more nor better food than, as we use to say, to keep soul and body together; and as for wine, they would not so much as touch it; which, I think, is still necessary to be observed by all that would fast to any purpose.

2. Have a care of those superstitious ends which the Papists propound to themselves in fasting, who think they worship God by it, and that they thereby make Him satisfaction for their former sins, and merit His grace and favour for the future; but you, when you fast, do it only for that end which the Apostle here mentions in my text, "Even to keep your bodies under, and to bring them into subjection to your souls, that so you may not at the last be cast-away."

3. Have a care of falling into the other extreme, even of fasting too much, as well as too little; for as St. Chrysostome1 observes from my text, the Apostle kept his body under, but he did not kill it; he brought it into subjection, but not to destruction; he used it as a servant, not as an enemy, and therefore would not starve it, for then he could

[St. Chrysost. ad 1 Cor. xi. 27; tom. x. p. 202, C. ed. Bened. oix i vaigā οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐχθρὰ ἡ σάρξ· ἀλλ' ὑπωπιάζω

καὶ δουλαγωγῶ· ὅ δεσπότου ἐστιν οὐ πολεμίους διδασκάλου οὐκ ἐχθροῦ· παιδοτρίβου οὐκ ἐναντίου.]

tom. iii.

expect no other service from it. Yea, it is St. Basil's ob- [S. Basilii Òpp. App. servation upon these words, that they, who fast too much, Lib. de Virand so weaken and distemper their bodies, violate the ginitate, Apostle's rule; for he by fasting brought his body into sub- p. 599, B.] jection to his soul, they fast so as to bring their souls into subjection to their bodies, forcing them to spend their time in looking after their bodies, and serving them instead of being served by them. Hence the same Apostle elsewhere commands us, not simply to "make no provision for the Rom. 13.14. flesh," but not so, as "to fulfil the lusts thereof." I suppose there are not many that need this caution, but there are some, and therefore I durst not omit it.

4. To your fasting always join prayer: these two frequently go together in Scripture, and ought not to be separated by us, for they strongly excite and quicken one another, in so much, that our Lord Himself tells us, "There are Matt.17.21. some kind of devils that cannot be cast out but by prayer and fasting." Some may be cast out by one, some by the other, some by neither alone; but there is no devil so powerful but he may be expelled, no sin so strong but it may be subdued by both together; and therefore when you fast, spend more time than ordinary in your private devotions, at least as much as you use to spend upon other days in eating, by which means you will lose no time from your particular, but gain much for your general calling.

1-18.

5. To fasting and prayer add alms also, for these three Christ joined together in His preaching, and Cornelius in Matt. 6. his practice. And so must we too. Insomuch that the Acts 13. 30. ancients scarce ever speak of fasting, but they prescribe this as necessary to the due performance of it; and the general rule they lay down for it, is this, that what you save by fasting yourselves, you must give away to the relief of others; by which means, without either the loss of time, or the impairing your estates, you may perform the three great duties. of the Gospel, fast, and pray, and give alms; which even severally are very acceptable to Almighty God, much more when they go together.

Lastly, When you have performed this duty as exactly as you can, have a care lest you place any confidence in it, but trust on Christ and Him alone, to bless and sanctify it to