2. To this, other circumstances were usually joined by them of old, which had no necessary connexion with it. Such were the neglect of their apparel, the laying aside those ornaments which they were accustomed to wear: the putting on mourning, the strewing ashes upon their head, or wearing sackcloth next their skin. But we find little mention made in the New Testament, of any of these indifferent circumstances. Nor does it appear that any stress was laid upon them, by the Christians of the purer ages; however some penitents might voluntarily use them, as outward signs of inward humiliation. Much less did the apostles or the Christians cotemporary with them, beat or tear their own flesh. Such _discipline_ as this was not unbecoming the priests or worshippers of _Baal_. The gods of the Heathens were but devils; and it was doubtless acceptable to their devil-god, when his priests [99]_cried aloud, and cut themselves after this manner, till the blood gushed out upon them_: but it cannot be pleasing to him, nor become his followers, who _came not to destroy mens lives, but to save them_.
3. As to the degrees or measures of fasting, we have instances of some who have fasted several days together. So _Moses_, _Elijah_ and our blessed Lord, being indued with supernatural strength for that purpose, are recorded to have fasted without intermission, _forty days and forty nights_. But the time of fasting more frequently mentioned in scripture, is, one day, from morning till evening. And this was the fast commonly observed among the ancient Christians. But beside these, they had also their half-fasts (_Semi-jejunia_, as _Tertullian_ stiles them) on the fourth and six days of the week (Wednesday and Friday) throughout the year: on which they took no sustenance till three in the afternoon, the time when they returned from the public service.
4. Nearly related to this, is what our church seems peculiarly to mean by the term _abstinence_: which may be used when we cannot fast entirely by reason of sickness or bodily weakness. This is, the eating little; the abstaining in part; the taking a smaller quantity of food than usual. I do not remember any scriptural instance of this. But neither can I condemn it. For the scripture does not: it may have its use, and receive a blessing from God.
5. The lowest kind of fasting, if it can be called by that name, is the abstaining from pleasant food. Of this we have several instances in scripture, besides that of _Daniel_ and his brethren: who from a peculiar consideration, namely, that they might [100]_not defile themselves with the portion of the king’s meat_, nor _with the wine which he drank_, (_a daily provision_ of which _the king had appointed for them_) _requested_ and obtained of _the prince of the Eunuchs, pulse to eat and water to drink_. Perhaps from a mistaken imitation of this, might spring the very ancient custom, of abstaining from flesh and wine during such times as were set a-part for fasting and abstinence. If it did not rather arise from a supposition that these were the most pleasant food, and a belief, that it was proper to use what was least pleasing, at those times of solemn approach to God.
6. In the _Jewish_ church, there were some _stated_ fasts. Such was the fast of the seventh month, appointed by God himself, to be observed by all _Israel_, under the severest penalty. [101]_The_ Lord _spake unto Moses saying, on the tenth day of the seventh month, there shall be a day of atonement; and ye shall afflict your souls――to make an atonement for you before the_ Lord _your_ God. _For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people._ In after ages several other _stated_ fasts were added to these. So mention is made by the prophet _Zechariah_, of the fast, not only [102]_of the seventh_, but also of _the fourth, of the fifth, and of the tenth month_.
In the ancient Christian church there were likewise stated fasts, and those both annual and weekly. Of the former sort was that before Easter; observed by some for eight and forty hours: by others, for an entire week; by many for two weeks, taking no sustenance till the evening of each day. Of the latter, those of the fourth and sixth days of the week, observed (as _Epiphanius_ writes, remarking it as an undeniable fact) ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ· _in the whole habitable earth_, at least, in every place where any Christians made their abode. The annual fasts in our church are, “the forty days of Lent, the ember days at the four seasons, the rogation days, and the vigils or eves of several solemn festivals: The weekly, all fridays in the year, except Christmas-day”.