Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-05

from the rioh foods and visncs
with which he was piled
1.-THE tendency OF which wss
to promote She cArnai passions rather
than to develop the spiritual force),
and by perseverance, in his holy
resolve. and through fasting and
prayer, he was favored with heavenly
visions and the personal authorizations
Of the angel Gabriel. (See Daniel IL; Q;
X: 3, l2.) Nor was fasting and prayer
rs means OF intercession with God
known to Daniel alone In the Kingdom
OF BABYLON, for the king also, when
he reluctant y coniormed to the law in
casting Daniel into the lions den for
persisting In prayer. slso resorted to
fasting and prayer for his preservation
from the ravenous beasts; and the
sequel proved that thslr united suppl
cations and faith wers efiiactual.
One OF the most marvellous provIden-
iial deliversnces wrought out tor G0d's
ancient covenant pssple was In re-
RnoDse to prayer and fasting enloined
by Iudsh's righteous king. Jehossphat,
when he ana his people were surround
ed by an innumerable host, intent
upon destroying them. The Lord
witnessed their application, and just
when their destruction seemed, from
human point OF view, most imminent,
this comforting assurance came to
them through one OF their Prophets:
"rhus saith the Lord unto you, Be not
afraid nor dismayet by reason OF this
great multltude; for the battle is not
yours but CODE. Ye shall not
need to fight In Tins battle; set your
selves, stand ye still aud see the saliva
ton OF the Lord with you" The
slaughter was extensive and sanguin.
AIRY, but the belesguered Jews took no
part in 1t. Their enemies in their
blind madness ambushed and slew one
another, and lett their rich stores
OF wealth upon the battlefield for their
intended victims, so miraculously
preserved, to possess without danger.
Not only was fasting resorted 10
among ancient Israel when tie people
were overtaken by or threatened with
calamity, but 1t was also customary to
observe periodical last on the tenth
day Of the seventh month, on the &C.
cssion OF the annual atonement, when
the people,were commando Lev. xvii:
29) TO abstain from work AMI sffl ct
their souls. There is no evidence IN
the scripture that the requirement to
ture or punishment seli-ii fl cled or
Voluntarily endured; nor, int eed. that
such torture would be pleasing to the
Lord, as ascetics, ancient and modern,
have imagined. 1t more probably re.
ferred only to abstinence from food
and drink; to a recalling OF sins and
expressions and vanities OF W nicn they
had been guilty. and TO restitution
and earnest and heartfelt oontrition
therefor. The observance OF this
last as the Lord required doub-
less involved the liberation Of csptives,
he relieving of the oppressed and the
Assistance OF the neeiy; and that 1t
degensrated until the day was
devoted to labor, to pleasure or
s,rife, or TO periunclofy perform
ancs OF some Of the rites pertaining to
1t, while the true essence Of the re-.
quIremsnt was lacking, we may rea-
sohably infer from the word of the
Lord through Isaiah (Isa. lvili). Israel
Ia represented no representing the
Lord: "Wherefore have we tasted, say
they, and Thou seest noi2 Whereior
have we sfliicleI our souls. and Thou
takest no knowlsdg,2" And the LORD
audi:
Behold In the day of your fast We find
pleasure, and exact all your labors. BE.
hold We fast for strife and deb ate, and tc
smite with tho fist of wlckedness: y,
shall not fast as We do this day, to max,
your voice to be heard On high.
Is not this the last that l have choseni
to loose the bands of wickedness
to undo the heavy burdens, ant
to let the oppressed go free, and that "
Dtthh tNtty JOhtI ~ IL nDt 10 uthl III
bread TO the hungry, aud that thou bring
the poor that are cast out TO thy housed
When thou seest the naked that thou
cover him; and that thou hide not thy.
self from thine own flesh? Then shall
thy light break forth as tho morning
and thine health shall spring forth
speedily; and thy righteousness shall &c
before thee; the glory OF the Lord shall
be thy rearward. Then shalt thou call
and the Lord shall answer; thou shall
cry, and He shall say, Here am. II
thou take away from the midst OF thee
the yoke, the putting forth Of the finger
and speaking vanity; and If thou draw
out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy
the afflicted soul; then shall III J
light rise In obscurity, and thy
darkness be as the MONDAY: and
the Lord shall guide thee continually
and satisfy thy soul in drought, and
make fat thy bones: and thou shalt b,
like watered garden, and like spring
OF water, whose waters fail not. Anl
they that shall be of thee shall build tn,
old waste places: thou shalt raise up tn,
foundations of many generations; RnC
thou shalt be called The repairer OF III,
breach, the restorer OF the paths to dwell
in.
The observance OF fasting and praye
was common in the days of tn,
Savior's ministry, but more 30 per
hsps among the pious Pharisees thai
the true followers OF Christ, who re-
ceived from their Master this warning