NOTHING need be added to this Authority; the Neceffity and Advantage of private Prayers is here fo exprefly taught, that there is no room left to doubt about it.

JUSTUS readily acknowledges all this, how comes it then, Juftus, that you know nothing of the Neceffity and Advantage of private Fafting? How comes it that the fame Authority and the fame Words do not teach you as much in one place as in another? Has not our Saviour exprefs'd himfelf exactly in the fame Manner, and given the fame Advice, and proposed the fame Reward, to private Fafting, as to private Prayer?

FARTHER, when the Difciples of our Lord, could not caft the evil Spirit out of a Man, that was a Lunatick, he not only tells them, that it was through want of Faith, but also gives them a very important Inftruction in thefe Words, Howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by Prayer and Fafting (a).

Now does this look, as if Fafting was an occafional Thing, only for a Day or two in the Year? Is it ranked with Prayer as having the fame common Nature, as

(a) Math. xvii. 21.

being equally prevailing with God? And is not this fufficient to teach us, that we must think of Fafting, as we think of Prayer; that it is a proper Way of Devotion, a right Method of applying to God? And if that Prayer is most prevailing, and enters fartheft into Heaven, which is attended with Fafting, it is proof enough furely, that Fafting is to be a common ordinary Part of our Devotion.

Is it fufficient and powerful enough to caft out Devils, and cure Lunaticks, and shall we neglect it, when we pray against the evil Tempers and Paffions which poffess our Hearts? Shall we not pray to God in the most powerful prevailing Manner that we can ?

If we were to Faft without Praying, would not this be a Way of Worship of our own Invention? And if we Pray and neglect Fafting, is it not equally chuling a Worfhip of our own? For he that has taught us the Ufe and Advantage of Prayer, has in the fame Words taught us the fame Things of Fafting, and has alfo joined them together, as having the fame Power with God.

IF therefore Juftus will take his Religion from Scripture, he muft own, that Fasting is of the Nature of Prayer, that it has

the fame Authority from Chrift, and that he who only Fafts on a publick Day or two in a Year, no more observes the whole Duty of Christian-fafting, then he who only attends fome publick yearly Days of Prayer, can be faid to fulfil the whole Duty of chriftian Devotion.

To proceed, we may also observe, that the Reafon of Self-denial and Abstinence is conftant and perpetual, because we are perpetually united to a Body, that is more or lefs fit to join with our Souls in Acts of Holiness, according to the State that it is in.

As therefore it is always neceffary to take Care what Thoughts and Inclinations we indulge in our Minds, fo it is equally neceffary, that we be conftantly careful, how we alter the State of our Bodies, or indulge them in fuch Gratifications, as may make them lefs fit for the Purposes of an holy Life.

FOR fince there are States of the Body, which favour Holiness, and these States depend much upon our Manner of Living, it is abfolutely neceffary, that we avoid every Degree of Indulgence, every Kind of Irregularity and Idlenefs, or other Courfe of Life, that may make our Bodies lefs Active, lefs Pure, and lefs conformable to the Duties of Religion.

AND

AND this is to be done, as I said before, not only as a reafonable and advifable Thing, but as of the utmost neceffity, it being as effential to Holiness, to purify our Bodies, and practice a ftrict Temperance, as it is neceflary to practice a ftrict Charity.

Now chriftian Temperance is no more that, which may pafs for Temperance in the Sight of Men, than chriftian Charity, is that which is viible to the World.

A WORLDLY Man may think himfelf fufficiently Temperate, when he only abstains from fuch Exceffes, as may make him fitter to enjoy an healthful Senfuallity.

BUT chriftian Temperance is of quite another Nature, and for other Ends, it is to put the Body into a State of Purity, and Submiffion, and give the Soul a divine and heavenly Taste.

IT is therefore to be obferved, that chriftian Temperance is never enough practifed, but when it puts the Body in the fittest State for Devotion and other Acts of Holinefs, when our Bodies have all that Good done to then, have all that Purification, and right Tempers which Abftinence and Self-denial can give them, then do we practice chriftian Tempe

rance.

R 2

THERE

THERE is no other Rule than this to go by, for fince chriftian Temperance is in order to Holinefs, Purity, and heavenly Affection, he can only be faid to be truly Temperate, whofe Temperance is most serviceable to the highest Degrees of Holinefs.

AND to stop short of any known Degrees of Temperance, is like stopping fhort of any known Degrees of Charity. It is therefore as neceffary to practice all the Exercises of Self-denial, and strict Abftinence, as it is neceffary to afpire after real

Holinefs.

FOR as our Bodies are constant and Home-Enemies, and have a mighty Influence in all our Actions, fo far as we preferve them in a State fuitable to Holiness, fo far we preferve our felves fit for the Exercife of Religion.

IT is out of all queftion that there is a Purity and Impurity of our Bodies, as well as of our Souls, that is, there are fome States and Tempers of our Bodies, that favour and incline to Acts of Virtue, and others that as much incline to all Sorts of Senfuality.

THIS is as certain, as that Gluttony and Drunkennefs difpofes Men to all Sorts of Sins, and give them a Difrelifh for all Kinds

of