but they all from the higheft to the loweft humbled themselves before God in Prayer and Fafting. In short, Fasting (as faith the fore-cited (2) Author) is an Act of more Vertues than one. It is an Elicite (") Capite and proper Act of Temperance, of Repen- dato pag. fuprà lau tance, of Humiliation, and of Mortifica- 419. tion of the Flesh with its Affections and Lufts. It is an Imperate and Inftrumental A&t miniftring to Prayer, and is call'd in the 2d of St. Luke a Service of God. Anna (fays the Text) ferv'd God with Faftings and Prayers Night and Day. But that which ferves God, and ministers so much to Religion, and exerciseth so many Graces, that which was a part of Natural as well as of Reveal'd Religion,the great Solemnity and Publication of Repentance to both Jews and Gentiles which was practis'd by the Faithful under both Teftaments, and was a powerful indearment of the Divine Mercy and Pity. That, which Christ recommended and prefuppos'd, which he adorned with a cautionary Precept, and taught the manner of its Obfervation, to which he made Promises, and for which he affur'd the World of a Reward; can certainly be no less than a Duty of the Evangelical or Chriftian Religion. Wherefore,

2. I

2. I come to fhew, after what manner we are to perform this Duty. And here the Saints, who have gone before us, have trac'd out to us Four ways.

1. On the Days of our Faft totally to abstain from our Refreshment till the Evening.

2. To defer it, if not till the Even-
ing, yet fomething at least beyond
the ufual time.

3. To diminish its Quantity. And,
4. To alter its Quality.

1. We are taught on the Days of our Faft totally to abstain from our Refreshment till the Evening. Thus King David Fafted, 2 Sam, 3.35. He did neither tafte Bread nor ought elfe, till the Sun was down. And many of the Primitive Christians, especially in the times of Lent, followed his Example,

2. To defer it, if not 'till the Evening, yet something at least beyond the ufual time. Thus we find Cornelius Fasting in the 10th of the Acts; and thus did the Primitive Chriftians behave themfelves on Wednesdays and Fridays. They (*) Serm. Fafted (as (r) Epiphaneus informs us, not Compend. 'till the Evening, but ews pas Evans 'till pig. 466. the Ninth Hour, i. e. till Three of the

de fid.

Clock in the Afternoon, at which time

having ended their Faft Devotions, they receiv'd the Eucharift, and then went home to their Refreshment. And we are told by our most Reverend and Learned (x) Uber, that the Irish Monks by the (*) DifRules of Columbanus and Aidan, exercis'd courfe of themselves after the fame manner.

the Religi

ancient

on profef3. To diminish its Quantity; to feed fed by the more (paringly, or lefs frequently than at Irish. pag. other times; not fatisfying the natural 48. and innocent Cravings of our Appetites, but eating only fo much, as will preserve our Health, and enable us to perform the Devotions of the Day. And this they call the Faft of Tobit.

4. To alter its Quality; to fuffer neither Flesh nor Wine to come into our Mouth, but to abftain from all pleasant Food, from the Bread of our Defires, and to content our felves with wholfome, but lefs pleafing Nourishment, vexing our Appetites by refufing them a lawful Satisfaction, because in their (1) Dan. perulancy and luxury they prey'd upon an unlawful. 10.3. And after this manner Fafted the Prophet (1) Da- (2) Matt. niel, (2) John the Baptift, (3) Matthew the Evange- 3. 4. lift, (4) Fames the Fuft, (5) Hermas, and the (6) (3)Clem. Fathers on the Mountains of Nitria.

Alex. pæd. lib. 2. c. I.

(1) Euf. Hift. Ecc. lib.2.c.23.

Thus (I fay) have the Saints chalk'd out to us Four ways of Fafting, out of which our indulgent Mother the Church leaves every Man in lib.2. c.23. his Difcretion and Piety to choose what's fitteft for himself, which of them foever he makes choice of pro- lib.3. Sim. (5) Paft. vided the End the propofes be obtain'd, the is equally 5. fatisfy'd: For the feeks not the Decay of Nature, but (6) Pallad. the Chaftifement of Sin; intends not that our Knees, in Hift. but that our Evil Habis grow weak through Fafting, Lauii.

that

that by our abftinence we keep under the Body, and bring it into Subjection: Mortify our Members,that are upon the Earth,and keep a ftrict hand over all the inordinate motions of corrupt Nature. In a word, that we so order and regulate ourSenfual Appetites, that they enfeeble not the Heavenly Vigour and Sprightlinefs of our Souls, nor render our Spirits by their fubtile Infinuations lefs watchful unto Prayer. This is her End and Defign in her Injunctions of Abftinence, which if the obtains by any of the fore-mention'd ways, fhe will unfeignedly rejoyce. So the Old Man be Crucify'd, and the New Man rais'd up in us. So our Souls maintain their Birth-right, and live above the Solicitations and Inchantments of the Senfes. So they daily renew their Victories, and triumph over the Devil, the World and the Flesh. So this be done; whether it be by a Total or partial Abftinence, the Abftinence of whole Days or only of Parts; whe ther by diminishing the Quantity, or by altering the Quality of our Meals; the is not folicitous to enquire, Nay, to fuch as are in St. Timothy's Cafe, whose frequent Infirmities render Fafting apparently deftructive to their Health, fhe remits them all. Requires no Fafting at all from them, but fuch a conftant Care and Provifion for their Health, as will enable them chearfully to ferve the Lord. So tender and indulgent is our Mother, the Church to her Children in this Point,

But now we ought to be very careful, that we take not occafion from this Indulgence to favour our fe'ves too much. If it may be done without any detriment to our Health, or danger of shortning our Lives, 'tis certainly our Duty in one or other of the fore-mentioned ways to Faft, and that as in other Refpects, fo likewife in this, that we are Chriftians: Perfons, who afpire to an Angelical Life and invifible Joys, and fhould therefore wean ourselves from thefe Pleafures and Entertainments of Senfes, as much as the Preservation of our Life and Health, and our Duty to ourselves will permit. And fo I

come,

3. To

་

When a
When a

a Ego in Evangeli cis & Apoftolicis lite ris, totoq; Inftrumento quod appellatur Teftamid revolvens, video

mentum Novum, ani

præceptum effe jejunium,quibus autem diebus non oporteat jejunare, &quibus oporteat, præcepto domini vel Apoftolorum non invenio Epift. 86.

Auguft.

3. To the times of Fafting. Now, tho' the Holy Scriptures give no directions concerning thefe; yet from the Examples therein contain'd, they enable to judge what are the most seasonable. Queen Efther was to rencounter the outragious and bloody Defigns of Haman against her People, she and all the Jews kept a folemn Faft. The Bleffed Jefus, tho' he knew the Hearts of all Men, and his fingle Requeft had been enough with his Father, who heard him always, yet to fhew us how to proceed on fuch weighty Occafions, took the fame courfe, before he or dain'd his Apoftles. For (as St. Luke in his 6th Chapter informs us) it was early in the Morning, after a whole Night spent in Prayer, that he call'd and chose them. And accordingly the b Bi-bAds13.3. fhops at Antioch, even when the Holy Ghoft himself had chose the Perfons,and alloted their peculiar Work, did not lay Hands on Saul and Barnabas, 'till in imitation of their great Mafter, they had fafted and Prayed. Whenever then we have any extraordinary PeN

tition