thy heavenly Kingdom, which I befeech thee to haften, and shortly to accomplish the Number of thine Elect; that I, with all thofe that are departed in the true Faith of thy Holy Name, may have our perfect Confummation and Blifs, both in Body and Soul, in thy eternal and everlafting Glory, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. A COMPANION FOR THE FASTS OF THE CHURCH of England: WITH COLLECTS and PRAYERS For each SOLEMNITY. By ROBERT NELSON, Esq. The TWENTY-SIXTH EDITION. When the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, then shall they fast in those Days. St. Luke v. 35. Be afflicted and mourn and weep: Let your Laughter be turned to Mourning, and your Joy to Heavinefs. Humble yourselves in the Sight of the Lord, and he fball lift you up. St. James iv. 9, 20. Jejunium non eft perfecta Virtus, fed cæterarum Virtutum fundamentum. S. Hieron, ad Demetr. p. 23. LONDON: Printed for J. F. and C. RIVINGTON, S. CROWDER, T. LONGMAN, B. LAW and SON, C. CORBETT, G. G. J. and J. ROBINSONS, R. BALDWIN, W. STUART, J. NICHOL, W. FLEXNEY, T. EVANS, R. FAULDER, W. LOWNDES, G. and T. WILKIE, H. GARDNER, J. WALKER, J. SCATCHERD and J. WHITAKER, J. RYAN, and E. NEWBERY. MDCCXCI. Preliminary Inftructions. CONCERNING FAST S. Quest. WHAT do you mean by Fafts? Anf. Days fet apart by the Church or by Civil Authority, or by our own Appointment, to humble ourselves before God, in punishing our Bodies and afflicting our Souls, in order to a real Repentance. By outward Significations teftifying our Grief for Sins past, and by using them as Means to secure us from returning to thofe Sins, for which we exprefs fo great a Detestation. Q. Wherein confifts the Nature of Fasting? A. In a ftrict Senfe it implies a total Abftinence from all Meat and Drinking the whole Day from Morning to Evening; and then to refresh ourselves fparingly as to the Quantity, and not delicately as to the Quality of the Food. And in this Manner not one but more Days were paffed in a continual Fast by the Primitive Chriftians before Eafter. In a large Senfe, it implies an Abftinence from one Kind of Food, efpecially Fleth and Wine, as was used by Daniel; or a deferring eating beyond the ufual Hours, as the Primitive Chriftians did on their Dan. x. 8. flationary Days, 'till Three in the Afternoon, to which Hour their public Affemblies continued on thofe Days. So that hereby fome Self-denial is defigned to our bodily Appetites; for no Abítinence can partake of the Nature of Fafting, except there be fomething in it that afflicts us. Q. How 5. Mat. vi. 16,17,18. Q. How many Sorts of Fafts are there? A. There are two Sorts, public and private. The firft we are determined to obferve by virtue of that Obedience that is due to our lawful Superiors; and for thofe Reasons they enjoin it. The fecond proceeds from our own voluntary Impofition, and arifes from our Obligation to perform it at fome Times, though it is left to our own Difcretion to determine the Seafon. Q. Whence arifes the Obligation of a Chriflian to fast? + A. Nature feems to fuggeft it as a proper Means to exprefs Sorrow and Grief; and as a fit Method to difpofe our Minds towards the Confideration of any Thing that is ferious. And therefore all Nations from ancient Times have ufed Fafting as a Part of Repentance, and as a Means Jonah iii. to turn away God's Anger. As it is plain in the Cafe of the Ninevites; which was a Notion common to them with the reft of the World. And though our Saviour hath left no pofitive Precept about Fafting, yet he joins it with Almfgiving and Prayer, unquestionable Duties; and the Directions he gave in his admirable Sermon upon the Mount, concerning the Performance of it, fufficiently fuppofe the Neceffity of the Duty; which if governed by fuch Rules as our Saviour there lays down, will be accepted by God, and openly rewarded by him. Befides, our Saviour fays exprefsly, that the Time fhould come, when his Difciples fhould fast. And when he brings in the Pharifee boafting that he fafted twice in the Week, our Saviour in no Manner blames him for fafling, but corrects his Vanity for boasting of it. 35. Q. Why did not our Saviour's Disciples fast while he was upon Earth? A. Because Fafting belongs to Mourners; but while our Saviour was with them, it was a Time of Joy |