16 ^loreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad counte- nance : for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast, ^'erily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine liead, and wash thy face ;
18 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.
19 Lay not up for yourselves trea- sures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal :
20 But lay up for yourselves trea- sures in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal :
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that dark- ness !
24 No man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
There are three subjects brought before us in this part of our Lord's sermon on the mount. These three are fasting, worldlinesSj and singleness of purpose in religion. Fastmg, or occasional abstinence from food, in order to bring the body into subjection to the spirit, is a practice frequently mentioned in the Bible, and generally in con- nection with prayer. David fasted, when his child was sick. Daniel fasted, wdien he sought special light from God. Paul and Barnabas fasted, when they appointed elders. Esther fasted, before going in to Ahasuerus. — It is a subject about which we find no direct command in the New Testament. It seems to be left to every one's discretion, whether he will fast or not. — There is great wisdom in this. Many a poor man never has enough to eat, and it would be an insult to tell him to fast. Many a sickly person can hardly be kej^t well wdth the closest attention to diet, and could not fast without bringing on illness. — It is a matter in which every one must be per- suaded in his own mind, and not be hasty to condemn