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SERMON XXII.

ON FASTING.

PREACHED ON THE SUNDAY PRECEDING A
PUBLIC FAST.

2 CHRON. Xx. 3.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

As there may probably be some persons amongst us, who have never understood the nature of fasting as a religious service, or even seriously inquired into its design and utility, I propose in this discourse to give as plain and full an account of it as I am able; answering, at the same time, the objections which may suggest themselves against its use.

A fast, then, may be defined to be a voluntary abstinence from food, as a token of our humilia

tion before God. Repentance, it is true, is seated in the heart. There may be deep repentance, where it is not manifested by any outward sign or expression and, on the contrary, there may be much of the outward marks of repentance, where there is no inward feeling; no real sorrow for sin, or strong desire to avoid it.

It may here, then, be asked,-"Of what use is this outward sign? If we do not possess the repentance which it signifies, it is an act of mockery before God; and, if we do, God who sees our hearts cannot need to be informed of their state by any external expression."

To this I answer, in the first place, that if we have no real repentance in our hearts, the outward expression of it is but mockery. It is indisputable that those who are decidedly and manifestly impenitent had better not pretend to fast; for such fasts are an abomination to God. Such were the fasts which were kept by the hypocritical Israelites, and condemned by the Prophets. "Wherefore have we fasted" (they said), " and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold" (it is replied),

in the day of your fast, ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours." In other words, in those public fasts, in which they went up to the temple with great solemnity and appearance of

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devotion, they privately at home spent the day in pleasure, and exacted of their servants their usual labour. "Ye fast," it is added, " for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness." Instead of cleansing your hearts, you are indulging thoughts of anger and strife, and devising schemes of injustice and oppression. "Ye shall not fast in this manner, to make your voice to be heard on high," if you would have the Almighty answer you. "Is it such a fast as this that I have chosen? Is it for a man to bow down his head as a bulrush, to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?" Do I, that is to say, want you merely to cover yourselves with sackcloth, and put ashes on your head; and bow down your heads mechanically, as a bulrush bends before the wind, without any real submission of the heart! "Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?"-It is evident, that a fast, disgraced by such insincerity, could not be acceptable to a pure and holy God. It was mere hypocrisy, and therefore God says to such corrupt worshippers. Bring no more vain oblations: incense is an abomination to me: your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble to me, I am weary to bear them," But would you have your fasts acceptable, then let your practice correspond with your worship:

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of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." It is plain, then, that where the heart is not interested, and where sin, so far from being repented of and forsaken, is even cherished on the fast-day itself, such fasting is abomination in the sight of God. The case of such persons is clear. They had better not pretend to fast, than fast in such hypocrisy.

But there is a large class of persons of a different description, who may, perhaps unjustly, apply to themselves what is denounced in Scripture against those gross hypocrites: I mean, such persons as secretly acknowledge their sinfulness before God, and would willingly manifest their penitence if not restrained by the fear of ostentation. Now I beg leave to remind such persons, that fasting, like all other external acts of religion, is not appointed merely to shew that we are religious, but also to assist in making The great bulk of a congregation which worship God on the Sabbath, consists of persons who acknowledge themselves to be far from being in all respects what they ought to be; but who come to church, both that they may learn their duty, and that they may obtain help of God to

us so.

practise it. It is sufficient that they are sincere and possess a real desire of amendment in order to justify their worship of God. If none were to enter the house of God but those who are already pious, by what means are others to become so? We attend the ordinances of God in the hope of improvement, as the sick attend a physician. By nature we are all corrupt; and the use of religion is to reclaim us. This, however, is often effected only by slow means; by endeavours frequently faint at first, but becoming, through God's blessing upon the means used, more and more successful. We worship God, not as angels, but as sinful men; not so much to glorify him, as that we may be improved and saved ourselves. Now this being the case with the bulk of mankind, how ought they to act with respect to fasting? Doubtless exactly in the same manner as with respect to the other appointed modes of worship. They should consider it as an institution calculated to be highly useful to them, if they employ it properly; and therefore it is their duty, and ought to be their business, thus to employ it. Now I would ask such persons, Have you no sins to answer for? Have you not incurred God's displeasure? Ought you not to live in a much holier manner than you do? If your consciences answer, as I doubt

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