But beside those which were fixt, in every nation fearing God, there have always been occasional fasts, appointed from time to time, as the particular circumstances and occasions of each required. So [103]when _the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, came against Jehoshaphat to battle; Jehoshaphat, set himself to seek the_ Lord, _and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah_. And so [104]_in the fifth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, in the ninth month_, when they were afraid of the king of _Babylon_, the princes of Judah _proclaimed a fast before the_ Lord, _to all the people of Jerusalem_.
And in like manner, particular persons, who take heed unto their ways, and desire to walk humbly and closely with God, will find frequent occasion for private seasons of thus afflicting their souls, before their Father which is in secret. And it is to this kind of fasting, that the directions here given, do chiefly and primarily refer.
II. 1. I proceed, to shew, in the second place, what are the grounds, the reasons and ends of fasting.
And, first, men who are under strong emotions of mind, who are affected with any vehement passion, such as sorrow or fear, are often swallowed up therein, and even _forget to eat their bread_. At such seasons they have little regard for food, not even what is needful to sustain nature; much less for any delicacy or variety, being taken up with quite different thoughts. Thus when _Saul_ said, [105]_I am sore distrest; for the Philistines make war against me, and_ God _is departed from me_; it is recorded, _he had eaten no bread, all the day nor all the night_. Thus those who were in the ship with St. _Paul, when no small tempest lay upon them_, and all _hope that they should be saved was taken away, [106]continued fasting, having taken nothing_, no regular meal, for fourteen days together. And thus _David and all the men that were with him_, when they heard that _the people were fled from the battle, and that many of the people were fallen and dead, and_ Saul _and_ Jonathan _his son were dead also_; [107]_mourned and wept and fasted until even for_ Saul _and_ Jonathan and _for the house of_ Israel.
Nay, many times they whose minds are deeply engaged, are impatient of any interruption, and even loath their needful food, as diverting their thoughts, from what they desire should engross their whole attention. Even as _Saul_, when on the occasion mentioned before, he had _fallen all along upon the earth and there was no strength in him_, yet _said, I will not eat_, till _his servants, together with the woman compelled him_.
2. Here then is the natural ground of fasting. One who is under deep affliction, overwhelmed with sorrow for sin, and a strong apprehension of the wrath of God, would without any rule, without knowing or considering, whether it were a command of God or not, _forget to eat his bread_, abstain not only from pleasant, but even from needful food. Like St. _Paul_, who after he was _led into_ Damascus, _was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink_, Acts ix. 9.
Yea, when the storm rose high, when _an horrible dread overwhelmed_ one who had been without God in the world; his soul would _loath all manner of meat_; it would be unpleasing and irksom to him. He would ♦be impatient of any thing that should interrupt his ceaseless cry, Lord _save! or I perish_.
How strongly is this exprest by our church, in the first part of the homily on fasting?
“When men feel in themselves the heavy burthen of sin, see damnation to be the reward of it, and behold with the eye of their mind the horror of hell; they tremble, they quake, and are inwardly touched with sorrowfulness of heart, and cannot but accuse themselves and open their grief unto almighty God, and call unto him for mercy. This being done seriously, their mind is so occupied (taken up) partly with sorrow and heaviness, partly with an earnest desire to be delivered from this danger of hell and damnation, that all desire of meat and drink is laid apart, and loathsomeness (or loathing) of all worldly things and pleasure cometh in place. So that nothing then liketh them more than to weep, to lament, to mourn, and both with words and behaviour of body to shew themselves weary of life.”