IX.

SER M. contracted, and the Fear of being punished for it, it will of course produce this Effect, and in proportion as our Grief is more and greater, this Averfion will be more violent and intenfe. So that Fafting, we find, or abstaining from Food, is a natural Expreffion or Indication of our Grief, from whatever Caufe or Motive it proceeds. Whenever it proceeds from any worldly Motive, it is with refpect to the Favour of God, a thing of no Confequence at all. But when it fprings from a spiritual and godly Sorrow, from a Senfe of having finned and offended God, and a constant Uneafiness hanging over our Minds, till we are reconciled and have made our Peace with him, then it is an Act acceptable and well pleafing to him, not by any Virtue or Efficacy of its own (for furely he is not pleased to see his Creatures miferable) but for the fake of the good Principle it proceeds from. And this, it is probable, was what gave the first Rife to the Custom of endeavouring to avert God's Vengeance by this Method of religious Abftinence or Fafting.

But, fecondly, When Men began to practise this, they foon found the Benefit and Advantage of fo doing, by the good Effects and Confequences which flowed from it. That which proceeded from the firft Motions of Repentance, did at last help to perfect and compleat it. Those Paffions and Affections, which caufed Men to commit Sin, were by much Abftinence fo mortified and fubdued, that for the future they had no Defire to commit it. The Flesh became weak, and the Spirit gathered Strength, and they found their Minds in a better Frame and Difpofition for the Practice of all ferious Duties. The Benefit of Abftinence being thus discovered, it began to be confidered and obferved by Men, as a proper Way to help forward

their Repentance; and those who were forry for their SER M. paft Offences, and fincerely defirous to forfake them IX. for the time to come, had Recourse to this Method, to fubdue their Lufts, and to raise their Affections from all fenfual Delights, to a true Relish for more fpiritual Enjoyments. And here again the Principle, upon which it was performed, recommended it to God's Favour and Acceptance; not as a Duty that was neceffary in itself, but as a good Way to promote Piety and Virtue, and as fpringing from a real and fincere Defire to forfake every thing difpleafing to him.

Thefe, I think, are the only true Grounds on which Fafting can be confidered as a religious Act: And from hence it will be easy to discover, in the last Place, how far we are obliged to practise it. It is not a Duty that is neceffary for its own fake, it is not in itself acceptable to God, but as it naturally accompanies a fincere Repentance, and is a good Way to further and promote it. It is therefore to be ranked in the Number of thofe Duties, which are called auxiliary or inftrumental Duties, which are to be confidered as Means to fome End, and which therefore are practised fo far, and no farther, than they are neceffary to attain that End. So far as Fafting is the Effect of Repentance, Men will fast of course, either more or less, in Proportion to their inward Sorrow. But fo far as it is a Means to bring about Repentance, it ought to be performed with a View to that End, and can never be faid to be done duly and fufficiently, till that End is accomplished by it. Here then is the Rule by which we ought to act, we must fast so long till this End is answered; till the Flesh is fubdued, and made subject to the Spirit, and we have loft all Defire and Inclination to those

SERM. Vices which we used to take most Delight in. NoIX. thing can be called a religious Faft, that has not

this Effect upon us, and therefore when fuch Fafts are observed at all, thus far we are obliged to keep them.

Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, &c.

A

A Man's Chriftian Name his
beft Title.

SER

A

MON

On 1 COR. i. I.

Paul called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

HESE Words, or others to the fame SERM.
Effect, are the common Introduction X.
to most of those Epiftles which were
written by the great Apostle St. Paul.
Their Defign was to fhew both his

Name and Office, the former fetting forth who it
was that wrote them, and the latter, by what Autho-
rity they were written. In both there is something
that may be worth obferving; but as the Subjects are
perfectly diftinct from each other, at prefent I would
difcourfe only of the former.

It is obvious to obferve, that the Name of our Apostle, as written by himself here, and in the rest of his Epiftles, is fomewhat different from that which he had from the Beginning, and which was given him by his Jewish Parents. By them he was called Saul, and by that Name alone he seems to have been first known among his Countrymen the Jews; nor does it appear from Scripture, that he was called by any

other,

SERM. other, till after the Time when, by God's AppointX. ment, he was set apart to preach the Gospel to the

Gentiles. After this he is once mentioned by the fame Name again; but with this Remark, that he was also called Paul; which Name he takes upon him, and is fo ftyled by others, wherever he appears afterwards in holy Writ.

It may perhaps be thought a very needlefs Difquifition, and of very little Benefit to the Christian Hearer, How it came to pafs that this Change was made, and at what Time, or for what Reasons it was done. But let not this be any Prejudice against it. For as the moral Parts of this Apoftle's Writings abound with Precepts and Inftructions of several Kinds, very neceffary to be understood by Chriftians; fo even the historical and circumftantial Paffages are far from being useless Parts of them. His Cloke, his Parchments, and other private Matters, which fome have been pleased to make the Subject of their Mirth, have afforded the confiderate and attentive Reader proper Matter for his more ferious Thoughts. Useful Points of Doctrine have been fometimes raised from them, and practical Applications made of them.

Now when Subjects of this kind, by being opened and explained, become ferviceable to any Purpose of Religion, there is this further Benefit refulting from them, that every Inftance of this kind helps to answer that Objection, which represents the Text of Scripture as in fome Places frivolous, by fhewing, that to a Mind difpofed diligently to read them, to learn, to mark, and inwardly to digeft them, there is nothing to be found in those facred Writings, fo barren as to afford no Inftruction.

This being premifed, I beg leave at prefent, with a View to fome practical Observations that will rife

from