Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsIsaiah 58
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read Isaiah 58 in the BibleOriginal Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read Isaiah 58 in the BibleOriginal Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
Isaiah 58:5
Is this such a fast, as I have chosen?
Fasting is so often & clearly commended in holy Scriptures, that Protestants (though not greatly affected thereto) confess it to be a good thing of it-self, [1] but in diverse respects detract much from it: [2] denying it to be an act of religion, but only of bodily mortification: neither do all generally allow of prescript times, nor of abstinence from flesh those days, which they think good to fast: and those which do abstain from flesh, say they do it not for religion, but for the ordinance of civil policy. For which opinion they allege out of this and other places (Jere. 14. v. 12. Zacha. 7. v. 5.) that such affliction is not the fast, which God hath chosen. But if they would consider the coherence of the text, they should find the contrary. For albeit fasting alone without amendment of evil manners, & without other good works, doth not appease God's wrath, nor is agreeable to God's will, yet being joined with contrition of heart, and sincere piety, doth then greatly please him. And therefore our Lord God here (saith S. Jerome) lest he might seem to reprove fasting, [3] which himself had commanded, teacheth how it behoveth to fast: [4] Non enim querit Deus affictionem solam, & humiliationem animæ per iniuriam corporis, ut instar circuli torqueat corpus, & colla submittat, ac tristis incedat: &c. Sed ut cum istis hæc faciat quæ sequuntur. For God seeketh not only affliction, and humiliation of the soul by injury of the body; that one should writhe his body about like a circle, hold down his neck, and go pensive, &c. But that with these things, he do those which follow: [5] to wit, Dissolve the bands of impiety, and the rest, as in the text. Whereupon this Doctor discourseth at large, shewing that it profiteth not to carry an empty belly, and do those things that displease God. But fasting from meat, so that fasting from sin (by declining from evil, and doing good deeds) be joined withal: then (saith he) thy fasting will be acceptable: For then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall sooner arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of our Lord shall embrace thee. Further declaring the great profit thereof by examples: [6] that by fasting Daniel, the man of desires knew things to come: the Ninivites pacified the wrath of God. Elias and Moyses by forty days hunger were filled with the familiarity of God: [7] And our Lord himself fasted so many days in the wilderness, ut nobis solennes ieiuniorum dies relinqueret, to leave unto us the solemn days of fasts.