cacy than at other Times; and to be more exact in performing thofe Devotions that ought to accompany our Fafts. The Church aims at our Advantage in the Rules fhe prescribes, and is always fuppofed to make Allowances for particular Cafes, which cannot be included in general Rules.

Q. Is this Humiliation, and afflicting our Bodies by Fafting, and giving outward Marks of our inward Grief for Sin, agreeable to the Chriftian Religion?

A. Though it is certain, that in the Exercife of Repentance the main Thing required is, to return fincerely from our evil Ways, yet it is plain in the Prophets, that this inward Grief was expreffed by outward Signs of Fafting, Weeping, and Mourning. And that this was not peculiar to the Genius of the Old Teftament, appears by the Directions given by James 4. St. James concerning Repentance: Be efflicted,

9, 10.

and mourn, and weep: Let your Laughter be turned into Mourning, and your Foy into Heaviness. Humble your felves in the Sight of the Lord, and be fball lift you up. Which Words, if examined by the Phrafes of the Old Testament, our best Guide in interpreting the New, import outward Expreffions of Grief and Sorrow used by devout People in token of hearty Repentance. Levit. 16. The great Faft on the Day of Expiation, was 26, 31, called a Day of afflicting their Souls: Which confifted not only in Abftinence from Food, but in Sacco & putting on the Habit and Appearance of Mourncinere vo-ers; which in thofe Eaftern Countries was Sacklutantes, cloth, lying upon the Ground, firewing Afbes on Apolog. their Head. And in fuch Days of afflicting their Souls, they abstained from all Sorts of Pleasure.

Tertul.

C. 40.

And

And to these Expreffions of Sorrow the Words of St. James plainly allude; and were fo literally practifed by the primitive Chriftians of thofe Countries. For, if any one fell into any notorious Sin after Baptifm, they did not think it fufficient that he should repeat his Crime no more, but he was obliged by a long Course of Mortification, Prayers, Tears, and good Works, to endeavour to wash out the Stain and Guilt.

Q. Are we obliged to use the fame Teftimonies of our inward Grief, whereby it was expressed in ancient Times?

A. I think not; because the using of Sackcloth and Afbes formerly, when Men humbled themselves before God, was in Conformity to the Custom of Mourners in those Times, who expreffed their Senfe of Grief after that Manner. But then I think we ought to exprefs the fame Thing by other Signs proper to the Custom of Mourners in our Days. By forbearing our ufual Meals, by abftaining from all Manner of Pleafure, by neglecting the adorning our Bodies, by retiring from Company, by laying afide Business, and by bewailing our Lofs. A Sinner, faith St. Cyprian, ought to lament the Death of his Soul, at leaft as much as the Lofs of a Friend: And St. Chryfoftom makes ufe of the fame Comparison. And furely it will become us to mourn and lament, who have offended God, our best Friend, and whofe Favour we have confequently loft, if we are not heartily forry for having offended him.

Q. How is a Day of Fafting to be obferved by Serious Chriftians?

A. Not only by interrupting and abridging the Care of our bodily Suftenance, but by carefully inquiring into the State of our Souls;

charging

charging ourselves with all thofe Tranfgreffions we have committed against God's Laws, humbly confeffing them with Shame and Confufion of Face, with hearty Contrition and Sorrow for them; deprecating God's Displeasure, and begging him to turn away his Anger from us. By interceding with him for fuch fpiritual and temporal Bleffings upon ourselves and others, as are needful and convenient. By improving our Knowledge in all the Particulars of our Duty. By relieving the Wants and Neceffities of the Poor, that our Humiliation and Prayers may find Acceptance with God. If the Faft be pubJick, by attending the publick Places of God's Worship.

Q. What ought we chiefly to beware of in our Exercises of Fafting?

Mat.6.18. A. We ought to avoid all Vanity and valuing ourfelves upon fuch Performances; and therefore in our private Fafts, not to proclaim them to others by any external Affections; that we may not appear to Men to faft. Not to defpife or judge our Neighbour, who doth not, and, it may be, hath not the fame Reafon to tie himfelf up to fuch Methods. Not to destroy the Health of our Bodies, and thereby make them unfit Inftruments for the Operations of our Minds, or the Discharge of our worldly Employments. Particular Care ought to be taken, that we do not grow thereby morofe and four, peevish and fretful towards others, which Severity to ourfelves may be apt to incline us to; for that is fo far from expreffing our Repentance, that it makes fresh Work for it by increasing our Guilt.

The

The PRAYERS.

I..

who

Days and forty Nights; give me Grace ing. to ufe fuch Abftinence, that my Flesh being fubdued to the Spirit, I may ever obey thy godly Motions in Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs; to thy Honour and Glory, who liveft and reigneft with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, World without End. Amen.

TU

II.

Faft.

Favour

Urn thou me, O good Lord, and fo fhall For the I be turned; be favourable, O Lord, be divine favourable unto me, who turn to thee in weep upon our ing, fafting, and praying; for thou art a God Fafting. full of Compaffion, Long-fuffering, and of great Pity; thou fparest when I deserve Punishment, and in thy Wrath thinkeft upon Mercy: Spare me, good Lord, fpare me, and let me not be brought to Confufion; hear me, O Lord, for thy Mercy is great, and after the Multitude of thy Mercies look upon me, through the Merits and Mediation of thy bleffed Son, Jesus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

I

III.

Acknowledge, O God, my own Vilenefs by Profeffion reafon of my Sins, and am heartily grieved of Reen= for the Lofs of thy Favour. What Humiliation, tance. O Lord, can fufficiently exprefs the Greatness of fuch a Lofs! But I will weep and mourn, becaufe I have offended thee; and I will repent as it were in Duft and Ashes. I will mortify thofe

inor

inordinate Appetites, which have fo fadly betrayed me; I will contradict all thofe Inclinations which have made me ftray from the Ways of thy Commandments. And do thou, O Lord, wean my Soul from the Pleasures of the Body, which so often corrupt it, and render it incapable of relishing spiritual Enjoyments. Let it not contract too great a Familiarity with the Delights and Satisfactions of Senfe, fince it was created for more exalted Pleasures, and must shortly quit those here below; that so, when I come to leave this World, I may be qualified for the bleffed Converfation of Spirits in thy heavenly Kingdom, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CHAP. I.

The forty Days of Lent.

QWHAT do you mean by Lent?

A. Lent, in the old Saxon Language, is known to fignify the Spring, and thence it hath been taken in common Speech for the SpringFaft; or the Time of Humiliation generally obferved by Chriftians before Eafter, the great Feftival of our Saviour's Refurrection. And a Man must know little of Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, or have but a fmall Acquaintance with the Primitive Fathers of the Church, who doth not acknowledge the Obfervation of Lent to be most

ancient.

Q. How may we judge of the Antiquity of this Faft?

A. From