the Lord's Death till he come.

333

SERMONS XII, XIII, and XIV.

HEB. II. IO.

To make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through Sufferings. 367, 393, 417.

SERMON

SERMON I

Of the LENT-FAST.

MATTH. IX. 15.

And Jefus faid unto them, Can the Children of the Bridechamber mourn, as long as the Bridegroom is with them? but the Days will come when the Bridegroom ball be taken from them, and then ball they fast.

T

I.

HE Occafion of thefe Words Sermon
the foregoing Verse discover-
eth. In the Time of our blef
fed Saviour's appearing in hu-

man Nature, the Jewish Pro

feffors affected very great Aufterity, and Mortification of Life, and made mighty Shews of it: The Scribes and Pharifees were

VOL. I.

B

very

I.

Sermon very eminent in this, were all very great Fafers; yea, and John himself, the Forerunner of our Lord, was of this Character was admired, followed, and imitated by his Difciples in it: No Wonder that this raised, in the Generality of the Devout, the fame Expectations from our bleffed Saviour: And his not Conforming to the common Mode in this, nor often Impofing fafting upon his Followers, but Accepting of Invitations and Entertainments as Occafions offered, was Matter of Accufation to fome, and of Surprize to others. Such a Licence, and Deviation from the common and established Rules of Sanctity, in thofe Days, even John's Difciples could not understand, and reconcile: Such a Difagreement as there manifeftly appeared between their Mafter's, and our Saviour's Life, in their Opinion, muft reflect upon one or other of them: If our Saviour was in the Right in this Indulgence, this expofed Fafting, and leffened the Vertue of their Mafter: If Fafting was good and commendable, this upheld the Character of the Baptift, indeed; but as much funk our Lord's: Under this Entanglement they were; and with this View they feem to propofe the Question before the Text.

The Anfwer of our Lord can never be fufficiently admired: Can the Children of the Bridechamber

I.

chamber mourn, while the Bridegroom is with Sermon them? In which our Saviour alludes to the Custom of the Jewish Marriages, at which, it was ufual for the felecteft Friends of the Bridegroom to attend, and rejoice with him feveral Days. And in this there was an exact Agreement: Our Saviour was the Bride groom, the Church his Spoufe, the Apostles were his moft intimate Friends, or, the Chil dren of the Bride-chamber: And, as it would be moft abfurd and ridiculous, to choose a Time of the greatest Foy and Feafting for Sorrow and Fafting, or to proclaim a Faft at a Wedding; fo the Expectation of Mourning and Abftinence from the Apostles was as filly and improper, while their Master was prefent with them, while they beheld his Glory, had the Comfort of his Prefence, of his Miracles, of his Inftructions; no, a fitter Time abundantly would hereafter come for this, when they fhould be deprived of his Prefence, fhould be harraffed, and perfecuted with Evils; and then they would have Fafting enough.

In which, and the following Verses, ye fee, our Saviour juftifies himself and his own Difciples, without detracting, in the leaft, from the Vertue and Merit of John, or without paffing any the leaft Discouragement or Reflection on Fafting; yea, he recommendeth it in its proper Time and B 2 Place,

I.

Sermon Place; and, contrary to the Expectations of John's Difciples, leaveth their Master in the full Poffeffion of that Veneration and Fame which his great Abftinence and Mortification had fo juftly procured him.

Upon thefe Words, I am to justify and recommend the prefent Faft, which our Church enjoins: And in order to it I fhall fhew,

Firf, Its Antiquity.

Secondly, Its Univerfality.

Thirdly, With what View, and to what
Ends it was at firft enjoined.

Fourthly, How it was celebrated or perform-
ed in ancient Time. And,

Firft, Of the Antiquity of this Faft. Although the Governours of a Church have, from these Words of our Saviour, fufficient Authority at any Time, when they find Occafion, to command a Faft; yet, this was none of our own Church's Devifing, but she, herein, only followeth the greatest and pureft Antiquity. It would look ftrange, I doubt, fhould one affirm it to be as ancient as the Chriftian Church it felf; or, that it derived it felf immediately from the Apoftles; and yet, upon the most impartial Enquiry, it has the faireft Marks of This, that a Thing of this Nature can be capable

of: