Part 15

Indeed we are already bound hand and foot, by the chains of our own sins. These, considered with regard to ourselves, are chains of iron and fetters of brass. They are wounds wherewith the world, the flesh and the devil, have gashed and mangled us all over. They are diseases that drink up our blood and spirits, that bring us down to the chambers of the grave. But considered, as they are here, with regard to God, they are debts immense and numberless. Well therefore, seeing we have nothing to pay, may we cry unto him, that he would _frankly forgive_ us all.

The word translated _forgive_, implies either to forgive a debt, or to unloose a chain. And if we attain the former, the latter follows of course; if our debts are forgiven, the chains fall off our hands. As soon as ever, through the free grace of God in _Christ_, we _receive forgiveness of sins_, we receive likewise _a lot among those which are sanctified, by faith which is in_ him. Sin has lost its power: it has no dominion over those, who _are under grace_, that is, in favour with God. As _there is now no condemnation for them that are in_ Christ Jesus, so they are freed from sin as well as from guilt. _The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in them_, and they _walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit_.

14. _As we forgive them that trespass against us._ In these words our Lord clearly declares, both on what condition, and in what degree or manner we may look to be forgiven of God. All our trespasses and sins are forgiven us, _if_ we forgive and _as_ we forgive others. This is a point of the utmost importance. And our blessed Lord is so jealous, lest at any time we should let it slip out of our thoughts, that he not only inserts it in the body of his prayer, but presently after repeats it twice over. _If_, saith he, _ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses._ Secondly, God forgives us, _as_ we forgive others. *So that if any malice or bitterness, if any taint of unkindness or anger remains, if we do not clearly, fully, and from the heart, forgive all men their trespasses, we so far cut short the forgiveness of our own. God cannot clearly and fully forgive us. He may shew us some degree of mercy. But we will not suffer him to blot out all our sins, and forgive all our iniquities.

In the mean time, while we do not from our hearts, forgive our neighbour his trespasses, what manner of prayer are we offering to God, whenever we utter these words? We are indeed setting God at open defiance: we are daring him to do his worst. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us! That is in plain terms, “Do not thou forgive us at all: we desire no favour at thy hands. We pray, that thou wilt keep our sins in remembrance, and that thy wrath may abide upon us.” But can you seriously offer such a prayer to God? And hath he not yet cast you quick into hell? O tempt him no longer! Now, even now, by his grace, forgive as you would be forgiven! Now have compassion on thy fellow-servant, as God hath had and will have pity on thee.

15. _And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lead us not into temptation._ The word translated _temptation_, means trial of any kind. And so the English word temptation was formerly taken, in an indifferent sense: although now it is usually understood, of solicitation to sin. St. _James_ uses the word in both these senses; first, in its general, then in its restrained acceptation. He takes it in the former sense when he saith, [98]_Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried_, or approved of God, _he shall receive the crown of life_. He immediately adds, taking the word in the latter sense, _Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of_ God: _for_ God _cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust_, or desire, ἐξελκόμενος, drawn out of God, in whom alone he is safe, _and enticed_, caught as a fish with a bait. Then it is, when he is thus _drawn away and enticed_, that he properly _enters into temptation_. The temptation covers him as a cloud: it overspreads his whole soul. Then how hardly shall he escape out of the snare? Therefore we beseech God, _not to lead us into temptation_, that is (seeing God _tempteth no man_) not to suffer us to be led into it. _But deliver us from evil_: rather, _from the evil one_; ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Ὁ Πονηρός is unquestionably _the wicked one_, emphatically so called, the prince and god of this world, who works with mighty power in the children of disobedience. But all those who are the children of God by faith, are delivered out of his hands. He may fight against them: and so he will. But he cannot conquer, unless they betray their own souls. He may torment for a time; but he cannot destroy; for God is on their side, who will not fail in the end, _to avenge his own elect, that cry unto him, day and night_, “Lord, when we are tempted, suffer us not to enter into temptation. Do thou make a way for us to escape, that the wicked one touch us not.”

16. The conclusion of this divine prayer, commonly called the doxology, is a solemn thanksgiving, a compendious acknowledgement of the attributes and works of God. _For thine is the kingdom_; the sovereign right of all things that are, or ever were created: yea, thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages. _The power_: The executive power, whereby thou governest all things in thy everlasting kingdom, whereby thou dost whatsoever pleaseth thee, in all places of thy dominion.――_And the glory_; the praise due from every creature, for thy power and the mightiness of thy kingdom, and for all thy wondrous works, which thou workest from everlasting, and shalt do, world without end, _for ever and ever! Amen._ So be it!

I believe it will not be unacceptable to the serious reader, to subjoin

A Paraphrase on the _Lord’s Prayer_.

FATHER of all, whose powerful voice, Call’d forth this universal frame, Whose mercies over all rejoice, Thro’ endless ages still the same. Thou by thy word upholdest all; Thy bounteous Love to all is shew’d, Thou hearest thy every creature call, And fillest every mouth with good.

In heaven thou reign’st, enthron’d in light, Nature’s expanse beneath thee spread; Earth, air, and sea before thy sight, And hell’s deep gloom are open laid. Wisdom, and might, and love are thine; Prostrate before thy face we fall, Confess thine attributes divine, And hail the sovereign Lord of all.

Thee, sovereign Lord, let all confess, That moves in earth, or air, or sky, Revere thy power, thy goodness bless, Tremble before thy piercing eye. All ye who owe to him your birth, In praise your every hour employ: Jehovah reigns! Be glad, O earth, And shout ye morning-stars, for joy.

Son of thy Sire’s eternal love, Take to thyself thy mighty power; Let all earth’s sons thy mercy prove, Let all thy bleeding grace adore. The triumphs of thy love display; In every heart reign thou alone; ’Till all thy foes confess thy sway, And glory ends what grace begun.

Spirit of grace, and health, and power, Fountain of light and love below, Abroad thine healing influence shower, O’er all the nations let it flow. Inflame our hearts with perfect love, In us the work of faith fulfil: So not heaven’s host shall swifter move Than we on earth to do thy will.

Father, ’tis thine each day to yield Thy children’s wants a fresh supply; Thou cloth’st the lillies of the field, And hearest the young ravens cry. On thee we cast our care; we live Thro’ thee, who know’st our every need; O feed us with thy grace, and give Our souls this day the living bread.

Eternal, spotless Lamb of God, Before the world’s foundation slain, Sprinkle us ever with thy blood, O cleanse and keep us ever clean. To every soul (all praise to thee) Our bowels of compassion move: And all mankind by this may see God is in us; for God is love.

Giver and Lord of life, whose power And guardian care for all are free; To Thee in fierce temptation’s hour, From sin and _Satan_ let us flee. Thine, Lord, we are, and ours thou art; In us be all thy goodness shew’d; Renew, enlarge, and fill our heart With peace and joy and heaven and God.

Blessing and honour, praise and love, Co-equal, Co-eternal, Three, In earth below, in heaven above, By all thy works be paid to thee. Thrice holy, thine the kingdom is, The power omnipotent is thine; And when created nature dies, Thy never-ceasing glories shine.

SERMON XXVII.

UPON OUR LORD’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT. DISCOURSE VII. MATT. vi. 16, 17, 18.

_Moreover when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

But thou when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face:

That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly._

1. IT has been the endeavour of _Satan_ from the beginning of the world, to put asunder what God had joined together; to separate inward from outward religion, to set one of these at variance with the other. And herein he has met with no small success, among those who were _ignorant of his devices_.

Many in all ages, having a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, have been strictly attached to the _righteousness of the law_, the performance of outward duties, but in the mean time wholly regardless of inward righteousness, _the righteousness which is of_ God _by faith_. And many have run into the opposite extreme, disregarding all outward duties, perhaps even _speaking evil of the law and judging the law_, so far as it enjoins the performance of them.

2. It is by this very device of _Satan_, that faith and works have been so often set at variance with each other. And many who had a real zeal for God, have for a time fallen into the snare on either hand. Some have magnified faith to the utter exclusion of good works, not only from being the cause of our justification (for we know that a man is _justified freely by the redemption which is in_ Jesus) but from being the necessary fruit of it; yea, from having any place in the religion of _Jesus Christ_. Others, eager to avoid this dangerous mistake, have run as much too far the contrary way; and either maintained, That good works were the cause, at least the previous condition of justification; or spoken of them as if they were all in all, the whole religion of _Jesus Christ_.

3. In the same manner have the end and the means of religion, been set at variance with each other. Some well-meaning men, have seemed to place all religion, in attending the prayers of the church, in receiving the Lord’s Supper, in hearing sermons, and reading books of piety: neglecting mean time the end of all these, The love of God and their neighbour. And this very thing has confirmed others in the neglect, if not contempt of the ordinances of God; so wretchedly abused to undermine and overthrow the very end they were designed to establish.

4. But of all the means of grace there is scarce any, concerning which men have run into greater extremes, than that of which our Lord speaks in the above-mentioned words, I mean religious fasting. How have some exalted this beyond all scripture and reason? And others utterly disregarded it? As it were, revenging themselves, by undervaluing, as much as the former had overvalued it. Those have spoken of it, as if it were all in all; if not the end itself, yet infallibly connected with it: These, as if it were just nothing, as if it were a fruitless labour, which had no relation at all thereto. Whereas it is certain the truth lies between them both. It is not all; nor yet is it nothing. It is not the end, but it is a precious means thereto; a means which God himself has ordained; and in which therefore, when it is duly used, he will surely give us his blessing.

In order to set this in the clearest light, I shall endeavour to shew, first, what is the nature of fasting, and what the several sorts and degrees thereof: secondly, what are the reasons, grounds and ends of it: thirdly, how we may answer the most plausible objections against it: and fourthly, in what manner it should be performed.

I. 1. I shall endeavour to shew, first, what is the nature of fasting, and what the several sorts and degrees thereof. As to the nature of it, all the inspired writers, both in the Old Testament and the New, take the word, to fast, in one single sense, for not to eat, to abstain from food. This is so clear, that it would be labour lost to quote the words of _David_, _Nehemiah_, _Isaiah_, and the prophets which followed, or of our Lord and his apostles; all agreeing in this, that, to fast, is not to eat for a time prescribed.

2. To this, other circumstances were usually joined by them of old, which had no necessary connexion with it. Such were the neglect of their apparel, the laying aside those ornaments which they were accustomed to wear: the putting on mourning, the strewing ashes upon their head, or wearing sackcloth next their skin. But we find little mention made in the New Testament, of any of these indifferent circumstances. Nor does it appear that any stress was laid upon them, by the Christians of the purer ages; however some penitents might voluntarily use them, as outward signs of inward humiliation. Much less did the apostles or the Christians cotemporary with them, beat or tear their own flesh. Such _discipline_ as this was not unbecoming the priests or worshippers of _Baal_. The gods of the Heathens were but devils; and it was doubtless acceptable to their devil-god, when his priests [99]_cried aloud, and cut themselves after this manner, till the blood gushed out upon them_: but it cannot be pleasing to him, nor become his followers, who _came not to destroy mens lives, but to save them_.

3. As to the degrees or measures of fasting, we have instances of some who have fasted several days together. So _Moses_, _Elijah_ and our blessed Lord, being indued with supernatural strength for that purpose, are recorded to have fasted without intermission, _forty days and forty nights_. But the time of fasting more frequently mentioned in scripture, is, one day, from morning till evening. And this was the fast commonly observed among the ancient Christians. But beside these, they had also their half-fasts (_Semi-jejunia_, as _Tertullian_ stiles them) on the fourth and six days of the week (Wednesday and Friday) throughout the year: on which they took no sustenance till three in the afternoon, the time when they returned from the public service.

4. Nearly related to this, is what our church seems peculiarly to mean by the term _abstinence_: which may be used when we cannot fast entirely by reason of sickness or bodily weakness. This is, the eating little; the abstaining in part; the taking a smaller quantity of food than usual. I do not remember any scriptural instance of this. But neither can I condemn it. For the scripture does not: it may have its use, and receive a blessing from God.

5. The lowest kind of fasting, if it can be called by that name, is the abstaining from pleasant food. Of this we have several instances in scripture, besides that of _Daniel_ and his brethren: who from a peculiar consideration, namely, that they might [100]_not defile themselves with the portion of the king’s meat_, nor _with the wine which he drank_, (_a daily provision_ of which _the king had appointed for them_) _requested_ and obtained of _the prince of the Eunuchs, pulse to eat and water to drink_. Perhaps from a mistaken imitation of this, might spring the very ancient custom, of abstaining from flesh and wine during such times as were set a-part for fasting and abstinence. If it did not rather arise from a supposition that these were the most pleasant food, and a belief, that it was proper to use what was least pleasing, at those times of solemn approach to God.

6. In the _Jewish_ church, there were some _stated_ fasts. Such was the fast of the seventh month, appointed by God himself, to be observed by all _Israel_, under the severest penalty. [101]_The_ Lord _spake unto Moses saying, on the tenth day of the seventh month, there shall be a day of atonement; and ye shall afflict your souls――to make an atonement for you before the_ Lord _your_ God. _For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people._ In after ages several other _stated_ fasts were added to these. So mention is made by the prophet _Zechariah_, of the fast, not only [102]_of the seventh_, but also of _the fourth, of the fifth, and of the tenth month_.

In the ancient Christian church there were likewise stated fasts, and those both annual and weekly. Of the former sort was that before Easter; observed by some for eight and forty hours: by others, for an entire week; by many for two weeks, taking no sustenance till the evening of each day. Of the latter, those of the fourth and sixth days of the week, observed (as _Epiphanius_ writes, remarking it as an undeniable fact) ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ· _in the whole habitable earth_, at least, in every place where any Christians made their abode. The annual fasts in our church are, “the forty days of Lent, the ember days at the four seasons, the rogation days, and the vigils or eves of several solemn festivals: The weekly, all fridays in the year, except Christmas-day”.

But beside those which were fixt, in every nation fearing God, there have always been occasional fasts, appointed from time to time, as the particular circumstances and occasions of each required. So [103]when _the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, came against Jehoshaphat to battle; Jehoshaphat, set himself to seek the_ Lord, _and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah_. And so [104]_in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, in the ninth month_, when they were afraid of the king of _Babylon_, the princes of Judah _proclaimed a fast before the_ Lord, _to all the people of Jerusalem_.

And in like manner, particular persons, who take heed unto their ways, and desire to walk humbly and closely with God, will find frequent occasion for private seasons of thus afflicting their souls, before their Father which is in secret. And it is to this kind of fasting, that the directions here given, do chiefly and primarily refer.

II. 1. I proceed, to shew, in the second place, what are the grounds, the reasons and ends of fasting.

And, first, men who are under strong emotions of mind, who are affected with any vehement passion, such as sorrow or fear, are often swallowed up therein, and even _forget to eat their bread_. At such seasons they have little regard for food, not even what is needful to sustain nature; much less for any delicacy or variety, being taken up with quite different thoughts. Thus when _Saul_ said, [105]_I am sore distrest; for the Philistines make war against me, and_ God _is departed from me_; it is recorded, _he had eaten no bread, all the day nor all the night_. Thus those who were in the ship with St. _Paul, when no small tempest lay upon them_, and all _hope that they should be saved was taken away, [106]continued fasting, having taken nothing_, no regular meal, for fourteen days together. And thus _David and all the men that were with him_, when they heard that _the people were fled from the battle, and that many of the people were fallen and dead, and_ Saul _and_ Jonathan _his son were dead also_; [107]_mourned and wept and fasted until even for_ Saul _and_ Jonathan and _for the house of_ Israel.

Nay, many times they whose minds are deeply engaged, are impatient of any interruption, and even loath their needful food, as diverting their thoughts, from what they desire should engross their whole attention. Even as _Saul_, when on the occasion mentioned before, he had _fallen all along upon the earth and there was no strength in him_, yet _said, I will not eat_, till _his servants, together with the woman compelled him_.

2. Here then is the natural ground of fasting. One who is under deep affliction, overwhelmed with sorrow for sin, and a strong apprehension of the wrath of God, would without any rule, without knowing or considering, whether it were a command of God or not, _forget to eat his bread_, abstain not only from pleasant, but even from needful food. Like St. _Paul_, who after he was _led into_ Damascus, _was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink_, Acts ix. 9.

Yea, when the storm rose high, when _an horrible dread overwhelmed_ one who had been without God in the world; his soul would _loath all manner of meat_; it would be unpleasing and irksom to him. He would ♦be impatient of any thing that should interrupt his ceaseless cry, Lord _save! or I perish_.

How strongly is this exprest by our church, in the first part of the homily on fasting?

“When men feel in themselves the heavy burthen of sin, see damnation to be the reward of it, and behold with the eye of their mind the horror of hell; they tremble, they quake, and are inwardly touched with sorrowfulness of heart, and cannot but accuse themselves and open their grief unto almighty God, and call unto him for mercy. This being done seriously, their mind is so occupied (taken up) partly with sorrow and heaviness, partly with an earnest desire to be delivered from this danger of hell and damnation, that all desire of meat and drink is laid apart, and loathsomeness (or loathing) of all worldly things and pleasure cometh in place. So that nothing then liketh them more than to weep, to lament, to mourn, and both with words and behaviour of body to shew themselves weary of life.”