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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07200	Christian humiliation, or, A treatise of fasting declaring the nature, kindes, ends, vses, and properties of a religious fast: together with a briefe discourse concerning the fast of Lent. By Henry Mason, pastor of Saint Andrews-Vndershaft London.	Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647.	1625 (1625)	STC 17602; ESTC S120999	101,549	174

of this counsell hee will finde the like euent I doubt not that the men of Samaria did by comming to heare Christ When the woman told them what strange things shee had found in Christ and exhorted them (a) Ioh. 4.29 Come see a man which told mee all things that euer I did Is not this the Christ They giuing some credence to the womans word went to make tryall themselues and after tryall made then they said to the woman (b) vers 42. Non mee beleene not because of thy saying for wee haue heard him our selues and doe know that this is indeed the Christ the Sauiour of the world So if any well-minded Christian vpon the word of so many learned Fathers Writers will but in due manner begin the worke I doubt not but after tryall he will say Now I beleeue the spirituall vertues that this exercise hath not because Basil or Chrysostome or Ambrose or Augustine or any other eyther Father or Doctor or Preacher saith so but because my selfe by experience finde and feele it to be so IIII. A fourth and last vse of fasting is that it serueth for an act or helpe of Repentance and that two wayes For first it is an act that followeth and floweth from repentance And secondly it is an act that breedeth or increaseth our repentance And in both these respects it may well be esteemed as a necessary companion that goeth along with repentance For in the one respect it is as a follower that commeth after and waiteth vpon it And in the other it is as an vsher that goeth before and maketh way for it 1. First it is a necessary companion to follow after and waite vpon repentance and thus it is necessary in two respects 1. That our sorrow may be answerable to our sinne For we sinne not in inward desires only but in outward both speehes and actions or wee sinne in thought word and deede And reason requireth that the plaister should be as large as the sore and so that repentance should spread it selfe as farre as the offence hath done This the Nineuites obserued in their repentance They put on haire-cloth and fasted sate downe in ashes By which behauiour of theirs they seemed to intend thus much saith a Reuerend and learned Writer (a) D. King on Ionas Lecture 36. page 489. We acknowledge before thy Maiestie Lord of Hosts we the vnworthiest creatures that euer thy hands haue formed viler then the sackcloth we weare for if there had beene baser stuffe in the world we would not haue refused it and fouler then the ashes wee are besprent with Wee acknowledge that thou art a righteous God and wee an vnrighteous Nation not worthy our meate drinke cloathing or any other benefits c. And in acknowledgement thereof as guiltie within our selues Whatsoeuer thou hast giuen vs to enioy for comfort for pleasure for seruice or any other vse eyther in our families at home or in our foulds and stalls abroad wee resigne it into thy hands as hauing no right vnto it we lay it downe at the feete of thy iustice and only for thine own sake beseech thee to shew mercy In this maner their repentance as it first sprung in the heart so it sprouted and shewed it selfe in the gestures of the body And so must ours do or else the plaister will be too little for the wound Secondly fasting is necessary as a follower of our repentāce that our outward humiliation may prooue the truth of our inward sorrow For the heart is vsed to expresse his inward affections by outward actions as it expresseth his vncleane thoughts by wanton lookes and vnchaste gestures and vnsauourie speeches and his ioy and inward reioyceing by singing dancing and a cheerefull countenance And this made Salomon to say (a) Prou. 15.13 A merrie heart maketh a cheerefull countenance And our Sauiour to say (b) Math. 12.34 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And I may adde by the like reason Yea and the eye looketh and the eare heareth and the feete walke and the hands worke And hence it followeth that if sorrow and repentance be in the heart they will appeare and shew themselues by the body and the acts and behauiour of the body by which repentance and sorrow are shewed are weeping and mourning and fasting and forbearing of the comforts of nature and the delights of the world This we finde true in dayly experience that sorrow whatsoeuer the cause be if it be great it will not let a man eate if it be but moderate yet it chooseth not to eate Thus Ahab when he was denyed Naboths Vineyard (a) 1. King 21.4 layed him downe vpon his bed and would eate no bread And Hannah when she was vpbraided by her aduersary (b) 1. Sam. 1.7 she wept and did not eate And Saul when he had ill newes prophesied vnto him of his owne death and the death of his Sonnes together with the ouerthrow of the people though they intreated him yet he put it off and said (c) 1. Sam. 28.23 I will not eate And Plutarch saith of Caesar that being told of violating of the Law which himself had made (d) Adeo pounituit vt illo die coenam recusaret Plut. apoph in August Caes it so repented him that hee refused his supper Thus sorrow for worldly respects enioyneth abstinence from food And so it doth when it is for sinne Dauid saith of himselfe (*) Psal 102.4 My heart is sinitten and withered like grasse so that I forget to eate my bread The meaning is that sorrow so possessed his heart that he had no minde of his meate And (e) Iocl 2.12 the Prophet taught the people to shew their repentance by fasting and weeping and mourning And nature taught the (f) Ionas 3.5 6 7. Nineuites to doe the like And from hence Saint Basil saith (g) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil de Ieiun Hom. 1. pag. 323. A. Repentance without fasting is idle The meaning is that as S. Iames saith Faith without workes is dead .i. it is no true faith if it bring forth no fruites so if repentance do not bring forth fruites of repentance fasting and mourning and humiliation it may be feared lest it bee a dead and fruitlesse repentance And this made our Lord to say of Tyre and Sidon that they would haue (a) Luk. 10.13 repented sitting in sack-cloth and ashes meaning that they would haue repented seriously and vnfaignedly And sure no man among vs would thinke that that woman did truely sorrow for her husbands death that would thinke it too much to weare a mourning gowne and a blacke paire of gloues at his funerall And as great reason there is to thinke that he doth not greatly sorrow for sinne that will neuer fast and chasten himselfe for sinne And if this be so how great cause haue wee to bee sorry that wee haue shewed so little sorrow and to

was a part of those sufferings which hee did vndergoe for our sakes Where by the way we may reflect vpon our selues and tell our owne soules that if our Lord did doe all these things for our sakes wee should not thinke much to doe a little for his sake but more especially seeing hee fasted so many dayes and nights for vs wee should not grudge to fast a little now and then for him But how for him For I suppose all men will be ready to say that if they knew they should fast for Christs sake as hee fasted for ours that then they would doe it with a good-will or else it were pitty of their liues To such men if any shall make such demand my answer is Wee may truly be said to fast for Christs sake many wayes As first if we fast that we may with more reuerence and better attention and greater feruour performe holy dueties vnto him In which kinde they fast for Christ who when they come to Church to heare and pray and prayse God and to partake of the blessed Sacrament of Christs body doe forbeare their meate that they may bee more fresh to attend to those holy dueties and because they doe preferre Gods seruice before their owne necessity and doe loue the Word and the Sacrament more than their necessary food Secondly wee may be said to fast for Christ if wee fast that wee may subdue those sinnes that nayled Christ to his Crosse and which if wee commit them doe (a) Heb. 6.6 crucifie againe the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him And in this kinde they fast for Christ who forbeare their meat that they may sorrow for their sinnes and may arme themselues against temptations and bring vnder their body that their flesh doe not wax wanton against Christ Thirdly wee may fast for Christs sake if wee forbeare to feed our selues that wee may haue wherewith to relieue others who beeing the poore members of Christ haue neede of our supply For what is done to any one of those little ones is esteemed as done to Christ himselfe And sure if Christ did fast so long that hee might supply vs it were both sinne and shame not to forbeare a meale if need require that wee may cherish Christ in his members In this manner and by these meanes wee may be said to fast for Christ Let vs make vse of them in our practice and wee shall hereby shew our loue to our Sauiour as hee by fasting forty dayes for vs shewed his great loue vnto vs. II. A second cause why our Lord fasted at this time may be that hee might by this meanes prouoke Sathan to begin his assault The declaration and proofe of this assertion dependeth vpon two things first that his fasting was a fit occasion that might prouoke the Deuill to the on-set secondly that Christ was willing to giue him such an occasion And first that this was a fit occasion appeareth by 2. things 1. Because when men are in distresse then is the Deuils opportunity to tempt them eyther to distrust God because hee leaueth them without reliefe or to vse vnlawfull meanes that they may relieue themselues 2. Because the euent sheweth that Christs hunger caused by his fasting was the occasion that Sathan tooke to assault him For when he saw him fainting for want of bread then hee thought it a fit time to say If thou be the Sonne of God command that this stone bee made bread And what the euent did make manifest afterward that our Lord knew very well before-hand Secondly That our Lord was willing to giue the Deuill such an occasion to prouoke him to the combat may appeare by two things also 1. Because it was Gods will to haue it so as is euident by this that the Spirit of God led him into the wildernesse to be tempted of the Deuill and Christs will was euer agreeable to the will of his Father 2. Because Christ did so thirst after our saluation that hee refused no paynes nor no danger to procure it Hee left heauen that he might become man for vs hee tooke our base nature that hee might beare our infirmities and he went vp to Ierusalem that hee might be crucified and hee came into the world that hee might saue the world by his sufferings And so seeing the temptations of Sathan by which hee assaulted our Sauiour might be profitable for vs and auaileable for our saluation for so Sathan might be ouercome at his owne weapon and wee armed against his assaults afterward wee neede not doubt but as the Spirit led Christ into the wildernesse to be tempted of the Deuill so our Lord himselfe would fast and hunger that the Deuill might assault him And heere againe by the way a Christian may haue a good meditatiō from his Masters practice that seeing Christ was ready to fight against the Deuill for our sakes wee should not feare to stand out against men for his sake But if Religion be a cause that wee are questioned by Enemies or disgraced by worldlings or kept from preferment by great Ones wee must beare oppositions of men for loue to Christ as hee bore these temptations of the Deuill for loue vnto vs. III. A third cause may be that by this exercise of fasting hee might prepare and fit himselfe for the great worke that hee was about For hee was now to enter vpon his Propheticall Office and to begin the publique function of his Ministery And in this and such like cases as this Gods seruants haue vsed to make preparation by fasting and prayers as may bee seene in the example of (a) Act. 13.3 Paul and Barnabas and (b) Act. 14.23 other Presbyters of diuers Churches And therefore seeing our Lord here fasted for a long space and that at such a time as he was to enter vpon the ministery of the Gospell we may well thinke that this is one reason of his fasting that hee might prepare himselfe for this great seruice Onely the doubt may be But what needed our Lord any such preparation For 1. hee was not defectiue in any grace For God (a) Ioh. 3.34 gaue not the spirit to him by measure but he was (b) Ioha 14. full of grace and truth 2. Our Lord was an innocent (c) 1 Pet. 1.19 Lambe without blemish and without spot And what needed hee such preparatiue helps that had all grace and no sinne I answere there be three reasons hereof First that he might stirre vp and inflame and as yee would say actuate the grace which he had already To this purpose it is that when hee was to pray he (d) Mat. 14.23 went into a mountaine or some other priuate place alone ardentioris orationis causâ that he might pray the more feruently say the Learned And so againe when he was to raise vp La Zarus (e) Ioh. 11.33 he groaned and was troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he troubled himselfe that is he stirred vp his

sorrow and moued his bowels vnto compassion and pitty Secondly that he might confirme and radicate and I thinke I may say that he might in some fort increase the graces that he had For the Scriptures say that he tooke vpon him our infirmities (f) Heb. 2.17.18 that he might be a mercifull and faithful High-priest and that (g) Heb. 5.8 he learned obedience by that which hee suffered and that (h) Heb. 12.2 he endured the Crosse and despised the shame for the ioy that was set before him and that in his greatest sorrow Luk. 22.43 an Angel came to strengthen him By which speeches we may gather that his feeling of our wants and his bearing of afflictions and his consideration of future ioyes and the prefence and conference of an Angell did increase or confirme his compassion toward vs and his obedience to his Father and his patience and his courage in his conflicts or else I know not what they meane and whereto they serue And if they intend thus much then by the same reason we may say that his praying and fasting and meditating might serue to increase or confirme or preserue the graces of the spirit which did enable him for his office Thirdly hee vsed this preparation that he might obtaine a blessing vpon his labours that they might become profitable to the Hearers For so we reade that he still vsed to commend businesses to Gods blessing When he fed the people (a) Mat. 14.19 he looked vp to heauen and blessed and brake and gaue them c. that is He prayed for a blessing vpon the meat and so when he consecrated the Sacrament (b) Mat. 26.26 he blessed it And when he was to leaue the world and to send his Disciples to supply his place of preaching (c) Ioh. 17.20 hee prayed not only for the Preachers but for them also that should beleeue through their word And so it is reasonable also to thinke that Christ did now fast and pray for a blessing vpon the word that hee was to preach and vpon the people to whom hee was to preach Thus in diuers good respects our Lord might vse his fasting for a preparation to fit him for his publike office and because we cannot conceiue that our Lord would omit an exercise so good and so proper for his present occasion we may wel suppose that one cause of his fasting was to prepare himselfe for this great seruice of his Ministery IIII. A fourth and last cause why Christ fasted heere may bee that he might giue vs an example by his owne practice For as a wise and carefull Physician will sometime iuste the Physicke which he prescribeth that he may encourage his patient to take it so our Lord vpon occasion did many things for our example So the Apostle saith Christ (a) 1. Pet. 2.21 suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should follow his steps And when our Lord had washed his Disciples feete himselfe telleth them his reason (b) Ioh. 13.15 I haue giuen you an example saith he that ye should doe as I haue done vnto you And so seeing he vsed fasting heere before the entrance of his publike seruice and calling he might doe it for this reason among others that he might leaue vs an example vpon the like occasion to vse the like practice And from hence we haue two conclusions that may further commend the holy vse of a religious Fast 1. That an holy Fast is a good exercise to begin our Callings all important businesses withall For not onely Moses when he was to receiue the Law and Elias when he was to restore the Law but Iesus Christ himselfe when he was to perfect the Law did fast and pray before they vndertooke the worke and so if any of vs be to enter vpon a calling or to vndergoe some great seruice if for example we be called to bee Magistrates or are to enter vpon the state of marriage or to begin a trade or profession in the world or to vndertake any waighty matter it is a good rule and we haue good authority for it to consecrate our entrance by an holy Fast And sure I am perswaded it is one great cause that we haue oftentimes so little comfort in the execution of our places because we vse so little Religion in our entrance into them But if wee would follow Christs steps we might hope for his blessing to direct vs. 2. That an holy Fast hath a proper vse in the consecrating and ordayning of Ministers for the seruice of the Church Our Lord vsed it heere when he was consecrated and appointed for his Ministery and the Apostolicall Church by his example vsed it when Paul and Barnabas and other Elders were to be sent abroad for preaching of the Gospell and the Christian Church afterward by example of Christ and his Apostles haue appointed the foure solemn times of fasting to be the set and solemn times for giuing of Orders and for sending of Ministers into the Church And their warrant is Christs example and the practice of the Apostles and the Apostolicall Church The common neglect of which times and this holy exercise to be vsed at those times and for this purpose may bee one reason why the Church is not better prouided of Teachers and the people are not more profited by their labours For redresse whereof it were to be wished that publike Authority would appoint some publike meetings at those times that by fasting and prayer we might commend that great worke to Gods blessing with one consent of heart But because it is not in the power of priuate men to make publike orders euery Christian shall doe well in his deuotions at home by fasting and Prayer to begge a blessing on that sacred worke that God would direct the Fathers of our Church to admit fit men to that sacred function and would enable the then ordained Ministers to profit the Church by their labours and would sanctifie all to make vse of his Word and the publike Ministery while we haue it and doe enioy it CHAP. VII Why Christ fasted forty dayes and forty nights IN relating of our Sauiours Fast the Euangelist setteth downe the continuance of the time He fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights saith hee In which words wee haue two things to consider of 1. Why the Euangelist mentioneth nights as well as dayes 2. Why our Lord made choyce of this number of dayes to determine his Fast by I. And for the former question Why the Euangelist mentioneth nights as well as dayes the answere is he did it lest any man should thinke that though he fasted by day yet he did eate at night For it is true indeed that the name of dayes doth many times include the nights also especially if the condition of the things spoken of be such as what is said of thē for the day time is left to be vnderstood of the night time too As when it is

and vaine-glory And so we may fast by outward abstinēce and receiue no good but hurt by it And therefore for preuenting of this euill we must doe in our humiliations as God requireth vs to doe when hee correcteth vs that is (c) 1 King 8.47 bethink our selues (d) Ezek. 18.28 Hagg. 1.5 7. consider our waies (e) Isa 42.25 57.1 lay them to heart And for this purpose that our fasting may profit vs in its season it will be requisite vpon our fasting-dayes to set apart some time for holy thoughts and good meditations and other exercises suteable to a time of humiliation and repentance And if more may not be spared by reason of other occasions yet so much time I presume euery man may allot to this worke as he spareth from his dinner and the refreshing of his body And the more any man is scanted of time to be wholly imployed on this worke the more he should striue to fasten his hart on these holy thoughts euen while he is about his worldly occasions And if men doe seriously and vnfeignedly bend their minds this way I nothing doubt but they will finde so much liberty for this worke as may make their fasting to bring good affections vnto their soules These be the conditions which as I conceiue are requisit in an holy East make vse of them and doubt not of the successe CHAP. V. In what cases and for what purposes Fasting serueth to obtaine helpe and fauour from God FAsting rightly vsed and with the conditions already mentioned is very auaileable and of great vse in the life of a Christian For beside the spirituall helps that wee may haue from it for furthering our deuotion whereof I spake before it is also a powerfull meanes to obtaine helpe and mercie from God in diuers necessary cases or rather vpon euery occasion wherein we doe stand in need of Gods speciall fauour and assistance For I. First and in generall it is auaileable to obtaine Gods fauour and goodwill toward vs and consequently to incline and moue him to helpe and protect vs and to prouide for vs all good things and to grant vs all our iust and lawfull desires And this it doth for diuers causes or in diuers respects 1. Because Fasting is an exercise of humiliation and subiection whereby we doe submit and cast our selues downe before Gods feete as vnworthy in respect of our many sinnes to vse any the least of his creatures And humiliation is a ready way to obtaine fauour By it (a) 1 King 20 31 c. Benhadad won the heart of the King of Israel not onely to spare his life but to intreate him with all kindnesse though he had found much hard measure from him immediately before And by it sinfull men who haue offended God by their sinnes may finde ready fauour at Gods hands For (a) Iam. 4.6 he resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble And if men (b) 1 Pet. 5.6 humble themselues vnder the mighty hand of God he will exalt them in due time And (c) Isa 66.2 All these things hath mine hand made saith the Lord but to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Which is as if he should say The heauens and the earth and the seas and all things within them all of them bee mine for I made them and I preserue them and I may command them and make vse of them at my pleasure but among them all my delight is and I make choyce to dwell and reside with him that humbleth himselfe before me It followeth And if humiliation be so welcome to God fasting must needs obtaine his fauour when it is rightly vsed 2. Because Fasting is an exercise of Repentance and a meanes to worke reformation and amendment of life And Repentance and amendment is the ready way to obtaine mercie and fauour For (d) Ioh. 9.31 We know saith the blinde man now restored to his sight that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth In which sentence there are two things considerable 1. The sentence it selfe God heareth not sinners that is God doth not respect the prayer of sinners which persist in any sinne without repenting and reforming themselues nor is it reason that he should care to fulfill their desires who haue no care to fulfill his Lawes But if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will c. That is if any man endeuour to serue God by forsaking sinne and performing good duties GOD heareth that mans prayer and will not deny him any request that may be for his good Secondly we may consider in this saying the certainty and vndoubted truth of it We know saith he he saith not we thinke or we hope or we are perswaded of it but we know it as a thing that is cleere and out of question Againe Wee know he doth not say I know or you know or the learned Doctors know but Wee I and you and all doe agree in this principle That God reiecteth the prayers of sinners but (a) Psal 34.13 his eares are open to the cry of the righteous and (b) Ps 145.19 he will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also will heare their cry and will saue them And if amendment of life and practice of righteousnes be so powerfull with God then fasting rightly vsed cannot want his effect 3. Because fasting rightly vsed is a meanes to eleuate the minde and to enflame a zeale and deuotion and to set an edge on our prayers as was formerly declared But (c) Iam. 5.10 the effectuall feruent prayer of a righteous man auaileth much saith the Apostle And consequently fasting is a good meanes to impetrate grace and fauour In these and such like respects fasting may steed vs with God to incline him to our prayers And therefore God himself reprouing the ill-gouern'd Fasts of the Iewes (a) Isa 58.4 Ye shall not saith he fast as yee doe this day to make your voyce to bee heard on high Where he signifieth that their ill handling of their Fasts was the cause that their prayers were not heard and implyeth withall that a right and well-ordered Fast would haue pierced the clouds and obtained audience in heauen II. Secondly and more particularly it may serue vs to obtaine fauour and mercy in these and such like speciall cases 1. If a man stand guiltie of sinne and lyable to Gods anger fasting may serue to appease Gods anger and to obtaine pardon of the sinne This end Ezrah had of his fasting For when the people had sinned in taking strange wiues first he confessed the sinne (b) Ezra 9.15 10.1 Behold O Lord God of Israel we are before thee in our trespasses for wee cannot stand before thee because of this And secondly hee betooke himselfe to abstinence and fasting