does not prevail by the force of deduction and artificial difcourfings only, but chiefly by way of bleffing in the ordinance, and in the miniftery of an appointed Perfon. At least obey the publick Order, and reverence the Conftitution, and give good example of Humility, Charity and Obedience.

8. When Scriptures are read, you are only to enquire with diligence and modefty into the meaning of the Spirit but if Homilies, or Sermons be made upon the words of Scripture, you are to confider whether all that be fpoken be conformable to the Scriptures. For although you may practife for humane reasons, and humane arguments miniftred from the Preacher's art; yet you must practife nothing but the command of God, nothing but the Doctrine of Scripture, that is, the Text.

9. Ufe the advice of fome fpiritual or other prudent man, for the choice of fuch spiritual Books which may be of use and benefit for the Edification of thy fpirit in the ways of Holy Living; and efteem that time well accounted for, that is prudently and affetionately employed in hearing or reading good Books and pious Difcourfes; ever remembring that God, by hearing us fpeak to him in Prayer, obliges us to hear him fpeak to us in his word, by what inftrument foever it be conveyed.

SECT. V.

of Fafting.

FAfting, if it be confidered in it felf without relation to fpiritual ends, is a duty no where enjoined or counfelled. But Chriftianity hath to do with it as it may be made an inftrument of the Spirit by fubduing the lufts of the flesh, or removing any hindrances of Religion. And it hath been practifed by all ages of the Church, and advifed in order to three Minifteries; 1. to Prayer; 2. to Mortification of bodily lufts; 3. to Repentance: and it is to be practifed according to the following meatures.

P 4

Rules

Rules for Chriftian Fafting.

1. Fafting in order to Prayer is to be measured by the proportions of the times of Prayer; that is, it ought to be a total Faft from all things during the folemnity, (unlefs a probable neceffity intervene.) Thus the Jews ate nothing upon the Sabbath days till their great offices were performed, that is, about the fixth hour; and S. Peter used it as an argument, that the Apoftles in Pentecoft were not drunk, becaufe it was but the third hour of the day, of fuch a day in which it was not lawful to eat or drink till the fixth hour and the Jews were offended at the Disciples for plucking the ears of Corn on the Sabbath early in the morning, becaule it was before the time in which by their customs they esteemed it lawful to break their Faft. In imitation of this cuftom, and in profecution of the reafon of it, the Chriftian Church hath religiously oblerved Fafting before the Holy Communion; and the more devout perfons (though without any obligation at all) refused to eat or drink till they had finished their morning Devotions: and farther yet upon days of publick Humiliation, which are defigned to be spent wholly in Devotion, and for the averting God's Judgments, (if they were imminent) Fafting is commanded together with Prayer; commanded (fay) by the Church to this end, that the Spirit might be clearer, and more angelical when it is quitted in fome proportions from the loads of Flefh.

2. Fafting, as it is in order to Prayer, must be a total abftinence from all meat, or elfe an abatement of the quantity for the help which fafting does to Prayer, cannot be ferved by changing flesh into fish, or milk-meats into dry diet; but by turning much into little, or little into none at all, during the time of folemn and extraordinary Prayer.

3. Falting, as it is inftrumental to Prayer, muft be attended with other aids of the like vertue and efficacy; fuch as are removing for the time all worldly Cares and fecular bufinefies; and therefore our ble

fed

fed Saviour enfolds thefe parts within the fame caution. [Take heed left your hearts be over-charged with furfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this world, and that day overtake you unawares.] To which add eleemofyna, Jejunium fine Alms; for upon the wings of Fafting and Alms ho lampas fine ly Prayer intallibly mounts up to Heaven.

4. When Falting is intended to ferve the duty of Repentance, it is then beft chofen when it is fhort, fharp, and effective; that is, either a total abftinence from all Nourishment (according as we fhall appoint, or be appointed) during fuch a time as is feparate for the folemnity and attendance upon the employment: or if we shall extend our feverity beyond the folemn days, and keep our anger against our fin, as we are to keep our forrow, that is, always in readiness, and often to be called upon; then to refufe a pleasant morfel, to abstain from the bread of our defires, and only to take wholesome and lefs-pleafing Nourishment vexing our Appetite by the refufing a lawful fatisfaction, fince in its petulancy and luxury it prey'd up. on an unlawful,

3. Fafting defigned for Repentance must be ever joyned with an extream care that we faft from fin : for there is no greater folly or undecency in the world, than to commit that for which I am now judging and condemning my felf. This is the beft Faft, and the other may ferve to promote the intereft of this, by encreafing the difaffection to it, and multiplying arguments against it:

olco, S. Aug.

6. He that fafts for Repentance muft, during that folemnity, abstain from all bodily Delights, and the fenfuality of all his fenfes and his appetites: for a man must not, when he mourns in his Faft, be merry in his fport; weep at dinner,and laugh all the day after; have a filence in his kitchin, and mufick in his Chamber; judge the ftomach, and feaft the other fenfes. I deny not but a man may in a fingle inftance punish a particular fin with a proper inftrument. If a man have offended in his palate, he may chufe to faft only; if he have finned in foftnefs and in his touch, he may chufe to lie hard, or work hard, and ufe fharpin

Alictions:

Digiama af

him mangia..

fictions; but although this Difcipline be proper and particular, yet because the forrow is of the whole man, no fenfe muft rejoyce, or be with any study or purpofe feafted and entertained foftly. This Rule is intended to relate to the folemn days appointed for Repentance publickly or privately: befides which in the whole courfe of our life, even in the midft of our moft teftival and freer joys, we may fprinkle fome fingle inftances and acts of felf condemning, or punihing; as to refufe a pleafant morfel or a delici ous draught with a tacit remembrance of the fin that now returns to displease my fpirit. And though thefe actions be fingle, there is no undecency in them, because a man may abate of his ordinary liberty and bold freedom with great prudence, fo he does it without fingularity in himself, or trouble to others; but he may not abate of his folemn forrow: that may be caution; but this would be foftnefs, effeminacy and undecency.

7. When Falting is an Act of Mortification, i. e. is intended to fubdue a bodily luft, as the fpirit of fornication, or the fondnefs of ftrong and impatient Apperites, it must not be a fudden, fharp and violent Faft, but a ftate of fafting, a diet of fasting, a daily lessening our portion of meat and drink, and a chufing fuch a courfe diet, which may make the leaft preparation for the lufts of the body. He that fafts three days without food, will weaken other parts more than the Minifters of fornication: and when the meals return as ufually, they alfo will be ferved as soon as any. In the mean time they will be fupplied and made active by the accidental heat that comes with fuch violent faftings for this is a kind of aereal Devil; the Prince that rules in the Air is the Devil of fornication; and he will be as tempting with the windinefs of a violent Chi diguna faft, as with the flesh of an ordinary meal. But a caroben daily fubtraction of the Nourishment will introduce non fa, Spa- a le's busie habit of body, and that will prove the more ad&cal in effectual remedy.

feruo va. 8. Faiting alone will not cure this Devil, though See Chap; it helps much towards it: but it muft not therefore

2.

Selt. 2. & 3.

be

།

be neglected,but affifted by all the proper Inftruments of Remedy against this unclean Spirit; and what it is unable to do alone, in company with other Inftruments, and God's Bleffing upon them, it may effect.

9. All Fafting, for whatfoever end it be undertaken, must be done without any opinion of the neceffity of the thing it felf, without cenfuring others, with all humility, in order to the proper end; and juft as a man takes Phyfick, of which no man hath reason to be proud, and no man thinks it neceffary, but because he is in Sickness, or in danger and difpofition to it.

JO. All Fafts, ordained by lawful Authority, are to be observed in order to the fame purposes to which they are enjoyned; and to be accompanied with actions of the fame nature, juft as it is in private Fafts: for there is no other difference, but that in publick our Superiors chufe for us, what in private we do for our felves.

11. Fafts, ordained by lawful Authority, are not to be neglected, because alone they cannot do the thing in order to which they were enjoyned. It may be one day of Humiliation will not obtain the Bletfing, or alone kill the Luft, yet it must not be defpifed if it can do any thing towards it. An Act of Fafting is an A&t of Self-denial, and though it do not produce the Habit, yet it is a good Act.

12. When the principal end why a Faft is publickly prescribed is obtained by fome 'other Inftrument in a particular Perfon, as if the fpirit of Fornication be cured by the Rite of Marriage, or by a Gift of Chastity; yet that Perfon fo eafed is not freed from the Fafts of the Church by that alone, if thofe Fafts can prudently ferve any other end of Religion, as that of Prayer, or Repentance, or Mortification of fome other Appetite for when it is inftrumental to any end of the Spirit, it is freed from Superftition, and then we must have fome other Reason to quit us from the obligation, or that alone will not do it.

13. When the Faft publickly commanded, by reafon of fome Indifpofition in the particular Perfon can

not