A holy and lawful fast has three ends in view. We use it either to mortify and subdue the flesh, that it may not wanton or to prepare the better for prayer and holy meditation; or to give evidence of humbling ourselves before God, when we would confess our guilt before Him. The first end is not very often regarded in public fasting, because all have not the same bodily constitution, nor the same state of health, and hence it is more applicable to private fasting. The second end is common to both, for this preparation for prayer is requisite for the whole Church, as well as each individual member. The same thing may be said of the third. For it sometimes happens that God smites a nation with war or pestilence, or some kind of calamity. In this common chastisement it behoves the whole people to plead guilty, and confess their guilt. Should the hand of the Lord strike any one in private, then the same thing is to be done by himself, alone, or by his family. The thing, indeed, is properly a feeling of the mind. But when the mind is affected as it ought, it cannot be but give vent to itself in external manifestation, especially when it tends to the common edification, that all, by openly confessing their sin, may render praise to divine justice, and by their example mutually encourage each other. Hence fasting, as it is a sign of humiliation, has a more frequent use in public among private individuals, although, as we said, it is common to both. In regard, then to the discipline of which we now treat, whenever supplication is to be made to God on any important occasion, it is befitting to appoint a period for fasting and prayer. Thus when the Christians of Antioch laid hands on Barnabas and Paul, that they might the better recommend their ministry, which was of so great importance, they joined fasting and prayer. (Acts xiii. 3.)
In general, the only object which they had in fasting was to render themselves more alert and disencumbered for prayer. We certainly experience that after a full meal the mind does not so rise towards God as to be borne along by an earnest and fervent longing for prayer, and perseverance in prayer. In this sense is to be understood the saying of Luke concerning Anna, that she “served God with fasting and prayers, night and day” (Luke ii. 37). For he does not place the worship of God in fasting, but intimates that in this way the holy woman trained herself to assiduity in prayer. Such was the fast of Nehemiah, when with more intense zeal he prayed to God for the deliverance of His people (Neh. i. 4). For this reason Paul says, that married believers do well to abstain for a season (1 Cor. vii. 5), that they may have greater freedom for prayer and fasting, when joining prayer to fasting, by way of help, he reminds us it is no importance in itself, save in so far as it refers to this end.
Again, when in the same place he enjoins spouses to render due benevolence to each other, it is clear that he is not referring to daily prayer, but prayers which require more than ordinary attention. On the other hand, when pestilence begins to stalk abroad, or famine, or war, or when any other disaster seems to impend over a province and people (Esther iv. 16) then also it is the duty of pastors to exhort the Church to fasting, that she may suppliantly deprecate the Lord’s anger. For when He makes danger appear, He declares that He is prepared and in a manner armed for vengeance. In like manner, therefore, as persons accused were anciently wont, in order to excite the commiseration of the judge, to humble themselves suppliantly with long beard, dishevelled hair, and coarse garments, so when we are charged before the divine tribunal to deprecate His severity in humble raiment is equally for His glory, and the public edification, and useful and salutary to ourselves. And that this was common among the Israelites we may infer from the words of Joel. For when he says, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly” (Joel ii. 15) he speaks as of things received by common custom. A little before he had said that the people were to be tried for their wickedness, and that the day of judgment was at hand, and he had summoned them as criminals to plead their cause; then he exclaims that they should hasten to sackcloth and ashes, to weeping and fasting; that is, humble themselves before God with external manifestations. The sackcloth and ashes, indeed, were perhaps more suitable for those times, but the assembly, weeping, fasting, and the like, undoubtedly belong, in an equal degree, to our age, whenever the condition of our affairs so requires. For seeing it is a holy exercise both for men to humble themselves, and confess their humility, why should he in similar necessity use this less than did those of old? We read not only that the Israelitish Church, formed and constituted by the Word of God, fasted in tokens of sadness, but the Ninevites also, whose only teaching had been the preaching of Jonah. Why, therefore, should not we do the same? But it is an external ceremony, which like other ceremonies, terminated in Christ. Nay, in the present day it is an admirable help to believers, as it always was, and an useful admonition to arouse them, lest by too great security and sloth they provoke the Lord more and more when they are chastened by His rod. Accordingly, when our Saviour excuses His Apostles for not fasting, He does not say, that fasting was abrogated, but reserves it for calamitous times, and conjoins it with mourning. “The days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them” (Matt. ix. 35).
(To be continued.)