From the passages referred to it is at least clear that Jesus ascribed to fasts no essential worth, nor required any such observance from his followers. Whether and how far he allowed fasting as a means of religious improvement is a question which our space does not permit us to discuss (Neander, Leben fesu).
(8) Early Christians. That the early Chris tians observed the ordinary fasts which the public practice of their day sanctioned is clear from more than one passage in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts xiii :2; xiv :23 ; 2 COT. Vi :5) ; but in this they probably did nothing more than yield obedience, as in general they thought them selves bound to do, to the law of their fathers so long as the Mosaic institutions remained entire. And though the great body of the Christian Church held themselves free from all ritual and ceremonial observances when God in his provi dence had brought Judaism to a termination in the rasure of the Holy City, and the closing of the Temple, yet the practice of fasting thus originated might have easily and unobservedly been trans mitted crom year to year and from age to age.
On fasting in the Christian Church consult Bingham, Ong. Eccl. bk. xxi, chap. i-iii; Coleman, Ancient Christianity, p. 552 ff.).
FAT (fat), (1) (Heb.:7v, yeh'keb, Joel ii:24; ill: t3), elsewhere rendered wine. press. A. S. foet, a vessel. In Coleridge, G/oss., it is found as "fet." Fat, meaning a large vessel for holding liquids, has been displaced by 'vat' in literary English. The difference between the spellings, says Skeat (Etyntol. Diet. s. is one of dialect only, 'fat' being northern and 'vat' southern. Fat occurs in A. V. (Joel ii:24), 'the fats shall overflow with wine and oil,' and Joel iii:t3; in the compound 'winefat' in Is. lxiii:2; Mark xii:i (A. V. '611 'wine fat' as two words); and 'pressfat' 0611 'presse-fat'), Hag.
(2) (Heb. 1317.1, kkay'leb). In Lev. iii there are minute details of the parts of victims which were to be specially appropriated to the altar. Among these all the internal Jai is minutely specified, particularly the fat of the kidneys; and of external parts the tail of the sheep, which, in the common species of Western Asia, is a mass of fat (iii :4, 9, to, 15) ; and the whole con cludes with 'All the fat is the Lord's; ye shall eat neither fat nor blood* (iii :17). The reason assigned, namely, that the fat was consecrated to the altar, could only apply with respect to that of animals used in sacrihce, which were also usually employed for food. One point seems to
have been very generally overlooked, which is, that not fat absolutely but particular fat parts only are interdicted. They might cat the fat in volved in the muscular tissue—in short, fat meat; and know that animals were actually fattened for food (t Kings iv:23; Jer. xlvi:21; Luke xv: 23). This was, however, not a usual practice; and even at this day in the East domestic cattle seldom undergo any preparatory feeding.or fat tening before being killed. 11 ence there is little fat in the 'carcass, except that belonging to the parts specified in the prohibition, which is all more or less of the nature of suet.
Various reasons have been assigned for this somewhat remarkable restriction. The secondary cause, that the fat was consecrated te the altar and therefore was to be abstained from, is not all, for it is usually considered that it was thus con secrated to give a religious sanction to a pro hibition expedient on other grounds.
The truth probably is that this suet or suet like fat is not particularly wholesome or digesti ble in warm climates, if anywhere, and is par ticularly unsuitable for persons subject to cuta neous diseases, as the Israelites appear to have been at the time of their leaving Egypt.
Figuratitie. 0) The Hebrews used the word which we render fat to signify the best of any thing, and, next to blood, it was the sign of health fulness and vigor; hence we read of the fat of wheat ; the fat of the land ; the fat of the flock (Ps. lxxxi:16 and cxlvii:8, 9; Gen. xlvii:6; iv:4). (2) Wicked men are represented as fat; as fatlings; as enclosed in their OWn fat, when they abound in honor, power and wealth (Deut. xxxii :14, 15 ; Ezek. xxxix :18 ; Ps. xvii :io). (3) Their heart is fat, or gross, when men are self conceited, stupid, careless, and unteachable (Ps. cxix :7o; Is. vi :Jo). (4) They perish as the fat of lambs when they are easily and quickly wasted and destroyed (Ps. xxxvii :2o). (5) Great men are represented as fat ones, because of their large possessions, joy and pleasure (Is. v :17 and x: i6; Ezek. xxxiv:t6, 20; Ps. xxii:29). (6) Saints are fat when they abound much in spiritual graces and comfort (Ps. xcii:14; Prov. xi:25; xiii :4; xv :3o and xxviii :25). (7) The sword of the Lord is fat with fatness when his judgments cut off multitudes of men, great and wealthy (Is. xxxiv :6).