4. “But is it not mere superstition (so it has been, fourthly, objected) to imagine that God regards such little things as these?” If you say it is, you condemn all the generation of God’s children. But will you say, these were all weak, superstitious men? Can you be so hardy as to affirm this, both of Moses and Joshua, of Samuel and David, of Jehoshaphat, Ezra, Nehemiah, and all the prophets? Yea, of a greater than all, the Son of God himself? It is certain, both our Master, and all these his servants, did imagine, that fasting is not a little thing, and that he who is higher than the highest doth regard it. Of the same judgment, it is plain,were all his apostles, after they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with wisdom. When they had the unction of the Holy One, teaching them of all things, they still approved themselves the ministers of God, by fastings, as well as by the armour of righteousness on the right hand, and on the left. After the Bridegroom was taken from them, then did they fast in those days. Nor would they attempt any thing, (as we have seen above) wherein the glory of God was nearly concerned, such as the sending forth labourers into the harvest, without solemn fasting as well as prayer.
5. “But if fasting be indeed of so great importance, and attended with such a blessing, is it not best, say some, fifthly, to fast always? Not to do it now and then, but to keep a continual fast? To use as much abstinence at all times, as our bodily strength will bear?” Let none be discouraged from doing this. By all means use as little and plain food, exercise as much self-denial herein at all times, as your bodily strength will bear. And this may conduce, by the blessing of God, to several of the great ends above-mentioned. It may be a considerable help not only to chastity, but also to heavenly mindedness; to the weaning your affections from things below, and setting them on things above. But this is not fasting, scriptural fasting: it is never termed so in all the bible. It in some measureanswers some of the ends thereof; but still it is another thing. Practice it by all means; but not so as thereby to set aside a command of God, and an instituted means of averting his judgments, and obtaining the blessings of his children.
6. Use continually then as much abstinence as you please; which taken thus, is no other than Christian temperance. But this need not at all interfere with your observing solemn times of fasting and prayer. For instance; your habitual abstinence or temperance, would not prevent your fasting in secret, if you was suddenly overwhelmed with huge sorrow and remorse, and with horrible fear and dismay. Such a situation of mind would almost constrain you to fast: you would loath your daily food: You would scarce endure even to take such supplies, as were needful for the body, ’till God lifted you up out of the horrible pit, and set your feet upon a rock, and ordered your goings. The same would be the case if you was in agony of desire, vehemently wrestling with God for his blessing. You would need none to instruct you, not to eat bread, ’till you had obtained the request of your lips.
7. Again, had you been at Nineveh, when it was proclaimed throughout the city, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock taste any thing: let them not feed or drink water, but let them cry mightily unto God: would your continual fast have been any reason for not bearing partin that general humiliation? Doubtless it would not. You would have been as much concerned as any other, not to taste food on that day.
No more would abstinence, or the observing a continual fast, have excused any of the children of Israel, from fasting the tenth day of the seventh month, the great annual day of atonement. There was no exception for these in that solemn decree, Whatsoever soul it shall be, that shall not be afflicted (shall not fast) in that day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lastly, had you been with the brethren in Antioch at the time when they fasted and prayed, before the sending forth of Barnabas and Saul, can you possibly imagine that your temperance or abstinence would have been a sufficient cause for not joining therein? Without doubt, if you had not, you would soon have been cut off from the Christian community. You would have deservedly been cast out from among them, “as bringing confusion into the church of God.”
IV. 1. I am in the last place, to shew, In what manner we are to fast, that it may be an acceptable service unto the Lord. And, first, let it be done unto the Lord, with our eye singly fixed on him. Let our intention hereinbe this, and this alone, to glorify our Father which is in heaven: to express our sorrow and shame, for our manifold transgressions of his holy law: to wait for an increase of purifying grace, drawing our affections to things above: to add seriousness and earnestness to our prayers: to avert the wrath of God, and to obtain all the great and precious promises, which he hath made to us in Christ Jesus.
Let us beware of mocking God, of turning our fast as well as our prayer into an abomination unto the Lord, by the mixture of any temporal view, particularly, by seeking the praise of men. Against this our blessed Lord more peculiarly guards us, in the words of the text. Moreover, when ye fast, be ye not as the hypocrites (such were too many who were called the people of God) of a sad countenance; sour, affectedly sad, putting their looks into a peculiar form. For they disfigure their faces, not only by unnatural distortions, but also by covering them with dust and ashes—That they may appear unto men to fast. This is their chief, if not only design. Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward; even the admiration and praise of men. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face. Do as thou art accustomed to do at other times—That thou appear not unto men to fast, (let this be no part of thy intention: if they know it without anydesire of thine, it matters not, thou art neither the better nor the worse) but unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
2. But if we desire this reward, let us beware, secondly, of fancying we merit any thing of God by our fasting. We cannot be too often warned of this; in as much as a desire to establish our own righteousness, to procure salvation of debt, and not of grace, is so deeply rooted in all our hearts:—Fasting is only a way which God hath ordained, wherein we wait for his unmerited mercy; and wherein, without any desert of ours, he hath promised, freely to give us his blessing.
3. Not that we are to imagine, the performing the bare outward act, will receive any blessing from God. Is it such a fast that I have chosen, saith the Lord: a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Are these outward acts, however strictly performed, all that is meant by a man’s afflicting his soul? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? No surely. If it be a mere external service, it is all but lost labour. Such a performance may possibly afflict the body. But as to the soul it profiteth nothing.