SERMON XXXII.

MARK, ii. 18.

JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, CAN THE CHILDREN OF

THE BRIDE-CHAMBER FAST, WHILE THE BRIDEGROOM IS WITH THEM? BUT THE DAYS WILL

COME,

WHEN THE

BRIDEGROOM SHALL BE

TAKEN FROM THEM; AND THEN SHALL THEY FAST IN THOSE DAYS.

S the church hath fet apart this season, as a time of particular obfervance, I fhall, in the following difcourfe, give you first, some account of the inftitution of Lent; and fhall fecondly, explain the nature of chriftian felf-denial.

With regard to the inftitution of Lent, it appears from the early accounts of the chriftian church,

church, to have taken its rife from the words I have just read to you. Our Saviour having told the Jews, that when the bridegroom fhould be taken from his difciples, they fhould then faft, many of the ancient chriftians observed a folemn faft from the day of the crucifixion, till the morning of the refurrection. This was interpreting, as it fhould feem, in too literal a sense, our Saviour's words, which cannot well be understood to mean the appointment of any regular fast; but only that his difciples, as well as thofe of John, and of the Pharifees, fhould have their time of fufferingthat yet the bridegroom was with them: but after he had left them, and they were better grounded in their profeffion, they must expect a feverer time of trial. These words however, explained too literally, seem to have given the firft occafion to the inftitution of Lent, which fome affert was thus obferved by the apostles themselves: but of this there is no fufficient proof from antiquity, and not the least mention made in fcripture.

How long Lent continued thus a fast only of three days does not appear. In an age or two however at most, the original institution was altered: but under different regulations. Some churches extended their Lent to three weeks;

fome

fome to four; and others to feven; till at length by a general order the duration of Lent was fixed at thirty-fix days: because that period was calculated to be a tenth part of the year; which, in allufion probably to the tythes under the law, was dedicated in a particular manner to God. And for this alteration of the original institution from three days to thirty-fix, it was faid, that in the purer ages of christianity these fet periods of felf-denial were unneceffary but in the corruption of fucceeding times, it was proper to call men to the obfervance of folemn fafts, to put them in mind, at least once a year, of their neglected duty.

The design might be good: but the church of Rome growing more, and more corrupt, Lent, among other things, became at length a pretence to enrich its priests: and great gains were made by granting indulgencies to eat flesh in Lent, for this reason, or that reason, or any reason, that could properly be paid for.

As Lent became thus a gainful trade, it was thought right to give it a fcriptural appearance. To this end, the Romish church added four days to the old thirty-fix, that by thus conforming it to the forty days fast of Moses, Elijah, and Christ, it

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might draw the reverence of the people, by receive ing the colour of a divine inftitution*.

When the proteftant churches feparated from the church of Rome, they put an entire end to the scandalous trade of indulgencies, which hath just been mentioned. But as to the inftitution of Lent itself, it hath indeed been allowed amongst us, on the principles of its first inftitution: but as there is nothing like any precept about it in scripture (for the fasting of Chrift was miraculous, and therefore not imitable) it hath never been rigorously, imposed; but every one is left, in the obfervance of it to his own difcretion.

Having thus, to prevent all prejudices, and superftition about Lent, fhewn you the original of the inftitution; I shall now, with a view to fhew you what can only be a rational obfervance of it, endeavour to explain the nature of christian self-denial.

Self-denial is among the leading doctrines of christianity. In it confifts almost the whole dif cipline of a state of trial. If any man will come after me, says our Saviour, let him deny himself,

* See BINGHAM'S ANTIQUITIES for the chief part of this account of Lent.

and

and take up his cross, and follow me.

Self-denial

does not indeed teach us what we should do: its great use is to restrain us from what we should not do; which is indeed the grand point. If we ccafe to do evil, it will naturally follow, that we shall learn to do well.

He who acts under this principle, ftrenuously denies himself, in the first place, all those pleasures, which arise, in any fhape, from vice. Various pleasures there are of this description. The world is a wide field; and in every part of it they abound.

But felf-denial not only checks fin; it checks imprudence alfo, which is often nearly allied to fin. When a man, for inftance, allows himself in expences beyond his circumstances, he may call his behaviour imprudent if he please; but it may more properly be called immoral. He injures his family -he imposes on those, who trust him-he contracts meannefs of behaviour-and indifpofes his mind to religious fentiments.

But even if his circumftances bear him out in what he spends, it is his duty to deny himself many things, that he may have it in his power to affift others. The abridgement of our own indu'gencies is the grand fource of generofity and charity.

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