refer) who wished to be accounted eminently godly, fasted no less than twice in the week. (Luke xviii. 12.) That they abused the institution is not to be doubted; but the fact of their frequent observance of it, shows us the estimation in which it was held by the people.

It is particularly worthy of being remarked, that scattered and divided as the Jews have for ages been, they neither have neglected, nor do neglect, the practice of fasting. Though they have split into parties, which have borne the most rancorous hatred to each other, yet they have invariably agreed in the observance of this duty. At the present day, their attention to it is rigid. Children of seven years of age are required, in some measure, to observe it; and at eleven for females, and thirteen for males, they keep it in its utmost rigour. Among the Samaritans, even infants at the breast are not exempt. As far then as evidence goes, it shews us that the practice of fasting has been observed by the Jews from the commencement of their polity to the present day.*

The Gospel dispensation is a development of the Mosaic dispensation, just as that was an enlargement of the Patriarchal dispensation. We must not consider them as separate religions, but as different parts of the same religion. The apostle informs us, that the Gospel was preached to the Israelites in the wilderness. (Heb. iv. 2.) It was the same Gospel; to us it is preached plainly and openly; to them it was preached in types and figures-the thing was the same; its circumstances different. The patriarchs saw the Gospel in its bud; the prophets of Israel beheld it as a lovely flower; but it is our delightful privilege to gather its delicious fruits.

It is reasonable to expect, that the several parts

See Note III.

of religion should bear some analogy to each other, and that duties common to all should be practised by the people in each. We have deemed it highly probable, that fasting was observed as a religious rite in the days of patriarchal simplicity, and have shewn that it was frequently and regularly attended to after the giving of the law: we now proceed to consider what has been the usage of the church since the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.

A little before the appearing of the Son of God, came John the Baptist, who had been spoken of in prophecy by the name of Elias. The particular object of his mission was, "to prepare the way of the Lord." He did this by instituting rites, and delivering precepts. Among the former of these we notice fasting; for we find that the disciples of John were so fully initiated into the discipline of fasting, that they could not withhold their surprise that the disciples of Jesus did not fast also; and therefore they came to the Saviour with this inquiry, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?" The question shews us that they considered the institutions of John as introductory to those of the Saviour; and as they knew perfectly well that John had enjoined fasting, they inferred that Jesus would do the same; hence their astonishment at finding that the disciples of Jesus did not fast at all. Now, we cannot discover why the disciples of John should fast, or how John, by enjoining such an observance, could "prepare the way of the Lord," if fasting were to make no part of the Christian religion! But, on the admission that fasting was to become, or rather to continue, a perpetual duty in the church of Christ, the conduct of the Baptist and his disciples appears perfectly congruous and proper.

It is very true, that during the personal presence of Jesus Christ upon earth, his disciples fasted not.

But so far from our being at liberty to conclude that, upon this account, we are discharged from the obligation, we may discover that our Saviour, in reply to the inquiries of John's disciples, expressly stated that the rite was dispensed with among his followers, for a special reason, and for a limited time. "Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn," said he, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." (Matt. ix. 15.) Here Jesus Christ evidently considers himself as the bridegroom, who had graciously come from his Father's house to espouse the church, which is emphatically called "the Lamb's wife.” (Rev. xxi. 9.) The disciples he considers as the immediate witnesses and attendants of the marriage.* Consistently with this view of his mission, he represents fasting as irrelevant and improper. In truth, fasting is an expression of sorrow and distress; and it would not have been more absurd to convert an ordinary wedding day into a time of fasting and mourning, than to have enjoined the same observances during the Lord's continuance on earth. So far, however, was Jesus Christ from discountenancing the practice, as a standing duty, that when he told John's disciples the reason why the duty was suspended, he took care to inform them, that when the bridegroom should have returned to his Father's house, his friends should fast as they did: "In those days shall they fast."

That Jesus Christ more than intimated that his followers, after his removal, should fast, may be collected from the following particulars. 1. He fasted himself. When we recollect that Jesus Christ was "harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners," it becomes apparent that his fasting * See Note IV.

could not be for the same purposes for which we fast. He had no unholy desires to subdue, no fleshly lusts to mortify, no sluggishness of spirit to overcome. Why, then, did he observe a fast of "forty days and forty nights?" (Matt. iv. 2.) We really are at a loss to answer, unless it was to sanction the practice, and set an example to his disciples in all succeeding ages. 2. His own words, in the sermon on the Mount, take it for granted that the people ought to fast. He does not say, if ye fast; for then it might have appeared to be a matter perfectly optional; but, assuming it as an acknowledged truth that they ought to fast, he says, "when ye fast," &c. (Matt. vi. 16.) 3. He never condemned the practice. The manner of fasting he censured, but not fasting itself. In the very discourse in which he introduces the subject of fasting, we find him animadverting severely on several of the received maxims of the time; as, for instance, that they should hate their enemies, exact an eye for an eye, &c. (Matt. v. 38—48.) and yet there is not one word of censure passed upon fasting! 4. He spoke of fasting in precisely the same way as of prayer and alms-giving. There is no difference of phraseology in the expressions, "when thou doest alms," "when thou prayest," and "when thou fastest." (Matt. vi. 3, 6, 17.) Now as we know that alms-giving and prayer are standing duties in the church, the plain inference is, that fasting is a standing duty also. 5. He corrected the abuses which had crept into the performance of this duty. There were in that day hypocritical pretenders to sanctity, who in fasting assumed sadness of countenance, and disfigured their faces that they might appear unto men to fast, and so get praise for their piety. (A proof, by the way, that the appearance of fasting was essential to the character of piety.) This hypocrisy our

Saviour condemned, and gave directions how to fast properly: "Thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret." (Matt. vi. 17, 18.) By fair reasoning, it never can be made out, that to reform a practice is to abolish it; but it may easily be shewn, that it goes far towards recommending it. And 6. In his most glorious appearance upon earth, he associated himself with two distinguished fasters. I refer to the Mount of Transfiguration, where he appeared with Moses and Elias. (Matt. xvii. 3.) Moses seems to have fasted the term of forty days, no less than three several times:-before he received the first tables of the Law; (Deut. ix. 9.) when the Israelites had sinned by making and worshipping the golden calf; (Deut. x. 10.) and when he received the last tables of the Law. (Ex. xxxii. 28.) Elijah also fasted forty days in the wilderness of Arabia. (1 Kings xix. 8.) With these persons our blessed Lord conversed at his transfiguration; and who can see these three extraordinary fasters together, enveloped with an overpowering glory, without feeling the practice strongly recommended!

The practice of the Apostles may convince us that they did not consider their Master an enemy to fasting, for there is ample proof afforded by the New Testament, that they were "in fastings often." They connected it with the most solemn observances of the Christian church, as well as with their ordinary ministrations. The disciples that were together at Antioch, were attentive to the solemn rite; they "ministered unto the Lord, and fasted." (Acts xiii. 2.) Nor did they deem it proper to omit the practice in the ordination of Barnabas and Saul; for we are told, that when the Holy Ghost said, "Separate me Barnabas and