What Flejh·pl~aji11g it u that u forbidden. cnce. lr is as great a duty to help the B6dy to its due: alacrity and fitncfs for fervice, as it is to tame Yet it'stiUe ir, and bring it under by falling and fackclorh when it is proud or luflfu\J. And they that thinkfaft- which P:· . ing on certain days, in a formal manner, is acceptable to God, whCn the Hate of the body isnot hclpt ~~trfcb f~nh, bur rather hurt and hindered by it, as if it were a thing required for it [elf, do miHakingly offer ~ ~af:~~~~~.i~: Sacrifice toGod, which he requireth not ; and take him to be an enemy to man, that defireth his pain ~r.m.:z, Comes and grief, when it tcndeth nm to his good. A Mower that bath a good Sythe will do more in a day, f"Juc.und.aen, than another that harh a bad one can do in two : every Workman knoweth the b'enetit of having his t."d flddJ(, b Tools in order; And every Traveller knows the difference between a cheerful and a tired Horfe. ~~~i;~r~i~,;o And they that have tryed health and fickncfs know what a help it is in every work of God,to have lignct, & con– a healthful body, and cheerful fpirits 1 and an alacrity and prornptirude to obey the mind. When ditiOnisad~o4 the fights of profPtd's, and ?eautcous buildings, an~ fields, and ~ountry:, or the ufe of ~alks, or. ~~~~r;in~~:~i~ gardens, do tend to raifc: the foul to holy c~ntempla~10n, to adtmr~ the Crcator,.and to thmk ofthe culis moniror glory of the life to come (as Bernard ufed hJS plcafant walks); tlns j)elight is lawful, if not a duty 6du,. . where it may be had. So when Mufick doth cheer the mmd, and ht It for ,thanks and praift: to ~: 11_•• r.Dz~/3. God: And when the Rdi of the Body, and_ tht! ufe of your befi ~pparel, an~ mo~eratc feaHing, on ,~~;~f! ~n4 the Lords Day, and other days of Thankfgivmg, do promote the fpmtual fcrvtce of the day, they are peHdem r 3 ru.; good and protitable, bur to chofe that are more hindered by fulnefs, even abtlinence on fuch days is rus.efi, qui ~ bel\. So that the ufe of the body mu(\ be judged of as it is a Means or an Exprt!Jiolt of the good or ""'~' "i'"" c:vil of the mind. ~~;~tpe}u~rcorpore, :rgcr an"mus_h~biclt. mJli rmtedium fit maJOT!S· quam in fano Et Di.ll. 4.' Quanwis nuh, quam I' is peffima xgritudo ,•ide-atur 1 opubile malum t.:lmen, quod 14- Sometime the prrfmt time mufi be rnofi regarded herein, and fometim~s the future. For when fome great fin or judgement or ochcrreafon calls us to a Faft, when it bec01p.es needful to the ends of that prrfmt day, we mull do it, though the Body were fo weak that it wtuld be fomewbat the worfe afterward ; fo be it that the Good which we may expeCl by it ·that day, be greate"' than the good which it is like to deprive us of afterward : otbcrwife the after lofs if greater is more to be avoided. , 5· -Many things do Remotely fit us for our main end, which ueerly and dire[lly feem to have n<> .tendency to it. As thofe that are only to furnifh us with natural firength, and vigo'r, and alacrity, or to prevent impediments : As a Travellers hood and cloak, and other carriage fecm rather to be binderancn to his fpeed ; f>ut yet are neceffary for preventing the cold and wet which clfe might hinder him more : yea, apoffible uncertain danger or impediment if great, may be prevented with a certain fmaU impediment. So it is meet that our Bodies be kept in that health and alacrity which is ordinarily ne~efTary to our duty ; and in eating and drinking, and lawfull recreations, it is not only the next or prt[ent duty, which we prepare for, but for the duty which may be very difiant. r6. Ordinarily it is fafcf\ to be more fearful of excefs of flejhly-pleafore, than of defe/1. For ordi– narily we are all very prone to an exccfi, and alfo the exce[sis u{ually more dangeroui. When excefi is the Damnation of aU or mnjl that ever perifh, and Defell is but theTrouble and hinderance, but never or rarely the Damnation of any, it's eafiethcn to fee on which fide we 010uld be rnofi fearful. caute~ lous and vigHanr. 17. Yet exccffive fcrupulrufncfsmaybe agruzter fin, and agreater hindera1tct in the work of God, than (ome fmaU exctffes of f\dh-pleafing, which are committed through ignorance or inadvertency. when an hone!\ heart which prefcrreth God before the Flefh, and is willing to pleafe him tnough it difplcafetheRefh, ihall yet rnifiake in fome fmall particulars, or commit Come daily errors of infir· miry or heedlefsncfs, it is a far lefs hinderancc to the main work of Religion, than if that man lhould daily perplex his mind with fcruples, about every bit he cats, whether it be not too plcafing or too much ; and about every word he fpeaks, and every f\:ep he goes, as many poor tempted me– lancholy perfons do; thereby difabling themfelves, not only to Love, and Praife and Thankfulnefs, but even all confiderable fervice. In fum, All pleafing of thefenfcs, or flefh which is lawful mull have thefe qualifications. •· Gods Glory mull be the ultimate end. 2. The matter mull be lawful, and not forbidden. 3· Therefore it mull not be to the hinderance of duty. 4· Nor to the drawing of us to fin. 5· Nor to the hurt of our health. 6. Nor too highly valued, or too dearly bought. 7· The meafure mull be moderate: where any of thefe are wanting it is fi.n: And where flefh·plea{rng is Habitually in the bent of Heart and Life preferred before the Plea{rng ofGod it proves the foul in captivity to thefiefh and in a damnable condition. §. 6. 1 I I. I am next CO ihew you the evil or malignity of predominant Flrfo-pleafing : For if the The G1·euncf' greatnefs of the fin were known, it would contribute much to the cure. And, I• Underlland that it of the fin. is thefin of finr ; the end of all fin, and therefore the very fum and Life of all. evil wicked men commit, is ultimately topltafe the flejh : The love of flefh·pleafrng is the Pride and tovetoufnefs, and whore3om, and wamonnefs,and gluttony and drunkennefs, refi are but either the immediate works of fenfuality apd Flefh-pleafing, or the dil\ant fervice of ir, by laying in provifion for it : And all the malicious enmity and oppofition to God and Godlinefs is from hence, becaufe they crofs the interefl and defires of the flefh : The final caufe is it for which men invent and ufe all the Means that tend "to it. Therefore all other fin being nothing but the means for
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