A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

1. A corrupt end; As the Pharisees who fasted to appear religious before men. And the Jews in Babylon who fasted, but did ye fast to me, even to me? saith the Lord, Zach. 7.5. their end was not right.

2. A secret allowance of sin, this made the Jews fasting of no avail with God, Jer. 14.10. They have loved to wander. There is their allowance of sin, And when they fast I will not hear their cry, ver. 12. There their fast turns to no account. It is said of Ahab, he rent his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted, 1 Kings 21.27. But still he kept fast his sin, and so not accepted. As when the Jews came to enquire of God, Ezek. 14. God tells them, he well ⟨p. 260⟩not be enquired of by them. And why? because they set up Idols in their heart v. 7. so if men come to God by fasting and prayer, and have in their hearts an allowance of sin, (which God the searcher of hearts can know,) they bring an Idol along with them in their hearts, and their prayer and fasting are rejected of him. David well knew this, when he saith, If I regard iniquity in mine heart, God will not hear my prayer: Though men while they are fasting and praying are not visibly acting sin, yet God seeth the aspect of the soul, if that be looking towards sin with pleasure and delight (as that Hebrew word [Greek or Hebrew] there imports) the prayer is rejected.

2. A secret allowance of sin, this made the Jews fasting of no avail with God, Jer. 14.10. They have loved to wander. There is their allowance of sin, And when they fast I will not hear their cry, ver. 12. There their fast turns to no account. It is said of Ahab, he rent his cloaths, put on sackcloth and fasted,