4. Yea, the body may sometimes be afflicted too much, so as to be unfit for the works of ourcalling. This also we are diligently to guard against: for we ought to preserve our health, as a good gift of God. Therefore care is to be taken, whenever we fast, to proportion the fast to our strength. For we may not offer God murder for sacrifice, or destroy our bodies to help our souls.
But at these solemn seasons, we may even in great weakness of body, avoid that other extreme, for which God condemns those who of old expostulated with him for not accepting their fasts. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not?—Behold in the day of your fast, you find pleasure, saith the Lord—If we cannot wholly abstain, we may at least abstain from pleasant food; and then we shall not seek his face in vain.
5. But let us take care to afflict our souls as well as our bodies. Let every season either of public or private fasting, be a season of exercising all those holy affections, which are implied in a broken and contrite heart. Let it be a season of devout mourning, of godly sorrow for sin: such a sorrow as that of the Corinthians, concerning which the apostle saith, I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance. For ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow (ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν λύπη· the sorrow which is according to God, which is aprecious gift of his Spirit, lifting the soul to God from whom it flows) worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of. Yea, and let our sorrowing after a godly sort, work in us the same inward and outward repentance; the same entire change of heart, renewed after the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness; and the same change of life, till we are holy as he is holy in all manner of conversation. Let it work in us the same carefulness, to be found in him, without spot and blameless; the same clearing of ourselves, by our lives rather than words, by our abstaining from all appearance of evil; the same indignation, vehement abhorrence of every sin; the same fear of our own deceitful hearts; the same desire to be in all things conformed to the holy and acceptable will of God; the same zeal for whatever may be a means of his glory, and of our growth in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ: and the same revenge against Satan and all his works, against all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, 2 Cor. vii. 9, &c.
6. And with fasting let us always join fervent prayer, pouring out our whole souls before God, confessing our sins with all their aggravations, humbling ourselves under his mighty hand, laying open before him all our wants, all our guiltiness and helplessness. This is a season for enlarging our prayers, both in behalf of ourselves and of our brethren. Let us now bewail the sins of our people, and cry aloud for the city of ourGod: that the Lord may build up Zion, and cause his face to shine on her desolations. Thus we may observe the men of God in ancient times always joined prayer and fasting together. Thus the apostles in all the instances cited above: and thus our Lord joins them in the discourse before us.
7. It remains only, in order to our observing such a fast, as is acceptable to the Lord, that we add alms thereto; works of mercy, after our power, both to the bodies and souls of men. With such sacrifices also God is well-pleased. Thus the angel declares to Cornelius, fasting and [114]praying in his house, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And this God himself expresly and largely declares, [115]Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to undo the heavy burdens, 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 cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thy own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy rare-ward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, here I am.—If (when thou fastest) thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, andsatisfy the afflicted soul: then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day. And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make thy bones fat: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring whose waters fail not.
SERMON XXVIII.
UPON OUR LORD’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
Discourse VIII.
Matt. vi. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.