This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1826 edition. Excerpt: ... abstain from food longer than we can who live in ay colder; but I think the body cannot usually be sufficiently afflicted through want of food in less time than one day. Thus I have proved religious fasting to be a Christian duty. And have shown what it is; who should and may fast, when and how long. It remaiueth that I show you how you may keep a fast acceptable to God, and profitable to yourself; which is the principal thing to be regarded in a fast. And this do I the rather, because many well-affected Christians have professed that they would gladly set about this duty, but ingenuously confess that they know not how to do it, and, in particular, how to be intent and spiritually employed, for want of matter, for a whole day together. But of this in the next section. II. Directions for the keeping a Religious Fast. By way of preparation to a religious fast, do thus: Take but a moderate supper the night before; for if a man glut himself over night, he will be more unfit for the duty of humiliation the next day, and it differeth in effect little from breaking of fast next morning. When you commend yourself to God alone by prayer that night (as every good Christian doth) then set yourself" in a special manner to seek the Lord, as the saints of God, in the beginning of their fasts, have done; proposing to yourself the end of your intended fast; remembering this, that if the chief occasion and end be your own private good, that you forget not others, nor the public; or if it be the public, yet mind also your own private: for until you have renewed your own peace with God, your fasting and praying will prevail little for the public. And God having joined the public with our private good in prayer, we must not disjoin them in our fasting....