SERM. Souls, by the pofitive and exprefs Will of God, but IX. alfo many others of their own Appointment, no less,

it feems, than two Days in feven being dedicated to this Purpose by them. The Reason of this, as we learn from Scripture, was partly their ignorant and fuperftitious Zeal, inclining them to think, that fuch Acts as these had something meritorious in them; and partly their Hypocrify and Pride of Heart, difpofing them to make a Shew of great Sanctity and Devotion, to be admired and esteemed of Men. The Difciples of John were Men of better Principles : They fasted often, but for better Reasons, such as were fuggested by their Mafter to them, who was a Man of very strict and rigid Morals, and a great Example of that Abstinence and Self-denial, which was copied with fo much Exactness by his Followers. Our Saviour, on the other hand, who lived much in publick, appeared to be less mortified and fevere. He mixed in all Companies; bore a Part in their Entertainments; fat down at their Tables; was prefent at their Marriage Feafts, and ready to comply with all decent Freedoms that Custom had introduced amongst them. The Pharifees from hence took Occafion to accuse him in very harsh and difrespectful Terms: Behold, fay they, a Man gluttonous and a Wine-bibber, a Friend of Publicans and Sinners. The Disciples of John were more moderate in their Expreffions; tho' they also thought that in this Point he was defective, and could not be perfuaded that this Chearfulness of Behaviour was confiftent with that high Degree of Purity and Perfection, which he seemed by all his Doctrines to profess. With these Thoughts about them they apply themselves to him in the Verses which go before my Text; faying, why do we and the Pharifees faft

often,

often, but thy Difciples faft not? i. e. Why are thy SERM. Disciples fo fingular in their Practice? Why are they IX. distinguished, not only from us, but likewife from all others that we have ever heard of, who pretend to any great or extraordinary Degree of Sanctity, as the Pharifees are well known to do? Why do they, whose Righteousness is in fome Respects required to exceed the Righteoufness of the Scribes and Pharifees, appear to fall fo much fhort of them in this? Or how can they pretend to fo much Piety and Devotion, when in this Inftance they are fo defective in it?

To this our Saviour answers in the Words of my Text: Firft, by a Question, Can the Children of the Bride-chamber mourn, while the Bridegroom is with them? And, Secondly, by a pofitive and express Affertion: But the Days will come, when the Bridegroom fhall be taken from them, and then shall they faft.

For the better understanding of which Words, it fhould be observed, that the ftrict Relation which Chrift bears to his Church, is figuratively reprefented in the Word of God by the Union between a Husband and his Wife. The Hufband, fays St. Paulf is the Head of the Wife, even as Chrift is the Head of the Church. In AMufion to this Figure, or Mystery, as St. Paul calls it, the Time that was employed by our bleffed Saviour in laying the Foundation of his Church here on Earth, may very properly be confidered as his Nuptials; because it was the Time when his Bride was espoused to him; the Time when he took upon him the Character of a Husband, and contracted this new Relation to the Church.

In this view it is, and with Reference to this Notion, that our Saviour here calls himself the Bridegroom: His Difciples for the fame Reafon are

SERM. called the Children of the Bride-chamber, i. e. as the IX. Words have been most commonly explained, the

Bridegroom's Friends employed by him in affifting at the nuptial Ceremony: or, as perhaps they might be better understood, the Bride herself; for such the Church was; and of whom did the Church at that Time confift, but the very Difciples concerning whom he speaks?

The Propriety of the Expreffion in this latter Senfe may be juftified by a Figure much used by the Eaftern Writers, and of which there are many Inftances in holy Writ. Thus those that rebelled, are called the Children of Rebellion, Numb. xvii. 10. Those who commit Iniquity are called the Children of Iniquity, 2 Sam. iii. 34. 1 Chron. xvii. 9. Proud Men by the fame Figure are called the Children of Pride, Fob xli. 34. And those who were appointed or condemned to die are by David called the Chidren of Death, Pfalm cii. 20. Those who were disobedient are called the Children of Difobedience, Eph. ii. 2. and because for this they are exposed to the Wrath of God, they are in the next Verfe called the Children of Wrath. And to inftance but once more, thofe who place their Trust, and have their Portion in this prefent World, are by our Saviour called the Children of this World, Luke xvi. 8. And those who are intitled by their virtuous Actions to an Inheritance among the Saints in Light, are in the fame Place called the Children of Light. Thus we fee that, in Conformity to the Genius of that Language which was spoken by our bleffed Saviour, thofe who were then wedded to their Lord and Master, and to whom there fore the Bride-Chamber belonged, might, as fuch, be called the Children of the Bride-chamber. And these were the Difciples, of whom the Church confifted,

who

who were the only Persons that had a Right to be SERM. confidered as the mystical Spouse of Chrift.

The Import therefore of our Saviour's Answer is this: Can the Children of the Bride-chamber, i. e. can my Disciples, espoused to me by a spiritual Relation, be expected to mourn, to afflict their Souls, or be in a Difpofition to keep voluntary Faftings, while I their Bridegroom continue with them? Shall the Prefence of a Husband banish Care and Sorrow, and fhall not my Prefence have the fame Effect? The Time will foon come, when I muft leave them to themselves, and then will they have Cause to mourn : Then will they fast and afflict their Souls, then will they practise the severer Duties, as well, you will find, and perhaps better too, than either you, or the ftricteft Pharifee. In the mean time it is my Pleafure to indulge them for a little while, and to exempt them from the Burden of those harsher Duties, which then they will fee Caufe to practife. The Days will come, when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then fhall they faft.

This being, I think, the true Import of the Words, it ought to be obferved, that our Saviour's Anfwer relates only to fuch Fafts as were free and voluntary, fuch as they obferved and impofed upon themfelves, without any Warrant or Authority from the Law. For all things contained in the Law of Mofes, our Saviour himself, as might be fhewn in many Inftances, and his Difciples alfo, while he lived among them, were in all Points very careful to observe. After his Afcenfion, Chriftianity commenced, and then much of the Law of Mofes was abolished. But as long as he lived, neither He nor They ever held themselves excufed from the ftrict Performance of any thing which was there required: From whence

IX.

SERM, we may conclude, that the Disciples of John were IX. either ignorant what the Practice of our Saviour

was, and seeing that his Difciples did not fast when they did, concluded falfly that they did not faft at all; or else, when they put this Question to him, meant only to ask why his Disciples did not fast so often as either the Pharifees or themselves: Why he did not teach and inftru&t his Followers, as their Mafter had taught and inftructed them, and as the Pharifees also had taught their Difciples to keep other Fafts of their own appointing, befides that which the Law of Mofes had enjoined. The keeping of that which the Law of Mofes had enjoined, was ́a Thing in which they all agreed. The only Queftion was, why our Lord's Difciples were not taught by him to observe the fame Days, and to be as regular and conftant in the Practice of this Duty, as the Difciples of John and of the Pharifees: who, befides that Faft which was inftituted by Mofes, obferved others alfo of their own voluntary Motion, which they were not bound by the Law of Mofes to obferve.

Secondly, we should take notice, that of thefe voluntary Fafts, our Saviour does not say they are fuperftitious in their own Nature, but only that they were unfeasonable for his Difciples. While he lived among them, there was no Room for Sorrow. The Prefence of their Mafter was fuch a Bleffing to them, that it could not but difpose them, instead of mourning and lamenting, to rejoice and be exceeding glad. And confidering the Afflictions they were afterwards to undergo, he was pleafed for a Seafon to indulge them in this Joy, leaving them to be instructed, when the Holy Ghost fhould come upon them, in what Manner they were to forrow for their Sins. In the

mean