376 Tl:e E-vil of Gluttony, and tbe ~medies. ------------------ Vircll.t. Saith Plata, God is che temperlte nuns law: :t•ld rle:t.furc the imemp~~ ratemam. Gal. 5. 2-4. DircC1.2. H~b. Ij. 9· forbid this tl,,, ( not only becAufe it is a fin agai~jl OHI' Jdves, d_irc:Clly but al£0) becau[e iris againfi every one almofi of the Comm:Jndf!!ents. And thmk nN that u1her Ricbtt or Poverty will excllfe it when even Princu a_te rcfirained {o much as fr_om !tJ.t{ea[ona~/e Mti11g, Ecckf. to. t6. If it wa; one of the great hns that Sodom was burnt with tire for, Judge whether England be in no dan~ ger by it: Read 0 England, and know thy felf and tttmble, Ert:k. r6. 49· Bthuld, this wat rbe ini· quity of thySiflcrSodom; PRIDE, FV LNES S of bread, and abund.mce of IDLENES S wai in her and in her da:~gbtert, Htitlur didjhe Jfrengtbw tbc b.md flj tbe pour and need)'. I V. The Dire[iiont or l:Mpt agJinj! it. 9·37· Direct. I• Mortijie tbe firfh, according to the Dircctinns CI'"P·4· Pm7. Subdue itsincli· n_ationr and dejirts: and learu to eftum and tt[t it btu as a flrv,mt. Think what a pitih1l pri.ce a hul.e ~luttonous pleafure of the Throat is, for a man to fell his God and his falvation for: Lrarn ro be md1ffer~nt whelher your ~eat be plcafi~g to yo~~ appetite .or not .; . and make no great matter of It : Remember {hll what an od1ous, fwm1fh , damnmg fin 1t IS, for a mJns bcart to be fet upon his belly. AU that art Chriflt lnve crmiftcd the fitjh witb its ajfeflions and lujls. 9· 38. DircCl:. 1• Li<•< faiehfuUy ro God, and •Poll[piritu;l durable deligbu. And then you will (t~cb tbe meafitre of your eating and drinkjtJgfi·om their tendency to that higher end. There is no uhng any inferiour thing aright, till you have tirfl well refolved of yoztr end, and u{i: it as a mean 1 thtreto, and mark bor11 f.tr it i1 a pwmt. Dire/1. 3· . 9· 39· Direct. 3· SeeaU 1"" fo:d., ~rovidrd and givmy01c b.! God andbeg it and theblcj}i"g of ~tat bu baud, tmd tbm tt wtUmucb rejlrsm you from ufirtg 11 tsgaznji hzm. He IS a wretch indeed that will take his food as from his Fathers hand, and throw it in his face, though perhaps a pcmlant child would do fo by a fellow·bvant: He that thinke!h he is moll beholden to himfdf f~r his plenty, will fayasthefool, Luke 12. 19,20. Sottltak,gtby e.1_fo, eat, drin~ and be mErry, thou h.Jjt enough laid ttp fur many years. But he that perceives it is the hand uf God that reacheth it eo him, will ufe it more reverently : It is a horrid aggravation of thlt Gluttcny of this age, that they play the Hypocritu in it, and tirH (for cu!lorn ) crave Gods bldfing Ql1 their meat, and then fi~ 1 Cor.ro. )I· down and tin againft him with it: Such are the prayers ofHypocritic;al ftnfualilis. Bur a feiiousdif– ccrning of God as the Giver, would teach you rvbethcr :you cat or drin~ to do aU'1o hii glory from whom it comes. Dire[i. 4· 9· 40. Direct. 4· !lte by f•itb t!Je blood nfCbrift as the p~t,.cbajing caufe of •Uyou have: a;td thm Jure ) 'Oit. will bear more reverence to biJ blood, tban to c;jt the fruit of it inlo tbe fink._ of jf11jiuli· ty, and to do worfe than throw it un the .dungbill : What! Mlllt Chrift b:: a facrihce to God 1 and dye ro recover you the mercies which you h:ad forfeited , and now wiJI you cafi rhem ro the Dogs? and pleafc a finful appetite with them? Did he dye to purchafe you proviJion for your lufis, and ro fcrvc the fldb with? Djrcfr. 5 • 9· 41· Dire6t. 5· Forget not h91:l' the firft ji1J came imo the world, tl'tn by eaJi;rg the fvrbiddm fruit : And let the Jlain n eatures whcfe lives are lofl for you, remember you of that fin, which brought the burden on them for yom fakes: And then i..vrry pitee of fl.cfh that yo\\ ferl will appear to you as with this c,aution written.upon it, [ 0:fiN 1rot at y;ur firft Pai'CntJ finned. by pleafing of ynur appetite; for thiJ ora de~JifJ l ami your d<vvuring the fiefh of your feUow·creaWrtJ l iJ tbe fotil of th:Jt [11, and wanwh yore to be temperate. Revell n11t to cxccfi in yur fi'Uuw·creatureJ livu. J Dire[{. 6 • 9· 42• Direct. 6. Keep a1t obedient tender Con[ciemc, not fi:rzlpuloufly perplexi11g yom· felvu ubout eve1j bit you eat (as melancholy pcrfom do) bm ch'cc~i11g -)lour appetite, aml telling you of GodJ Comma1;d,, and ttucblng you to fear all fln[ual txccjf. 1 •lt is a gractle[sdifobedient fcufde(S l1cart that makcth men fo boldly obey their appetite; \Vhen t~efear ot Gcd is not in their hearts, no won· der if they frrd and feafl them/elves without fear, ]ude 12. Either they make a lm1ll matter of Iin in the general, or at leafi of this tin in particular: It is u[ually the fame p~:rfons that fc:ar lhlt to fpend their time in idlfntfs, fports or vanity, and to live in worldlinefs 01 fleO,!y lufls, who live in Gluttony tQ feed all this. The belly is a Bruit, that flicks not much upon Reu{ou : Where CanJCience. is ajlerp and feared, Reafon and Scripture do little move a fenfual bcUy·g,d : And any thing will. ferve infic:ad of Reofon to prove it l1wful, and to anfwer all thats faid againH it. There is no difputing the t:afe with a man that is af!up; efpccially if his Gm1 and Appetite be awake: YcLt may almof\: as well bring Re.40n and Scripture to keep a Swine from over·eatingl or to perfwadc a hungry Dog from a Bone, as to take off a Glurron from the pleafing of his throat, if he be one.: grown blcu<i01, and have maUered his conkience by zmbtlief, or fiilled it with a fiupifying opi.Hco His tajle t.u;u fcrveth inficad ofRea[.:Jn, and ag1in~ Reafon; Then he faith, I feel it dJ me goJd, (that is, he fecleth that it pleafltb his Appetite, as a Swine fceletb that his meat dorh bim -~o~~ whe?· he is ready to burH :) and this anfwereth all that can be faid againlt it : Then he can facnhcc h1s tirn~ and treafure to his Belly, and make a jeafi of the Abflinence and Temperance of fohcr men, as if it were but a needlefs fdf-af!liClirg, or lit only for fome weal;. and jickJy perIons.. If thecontlmt fear and obedimce of God do not rule the foul, the Appetite will be unruled : An~ 1f :1 tmdrr c;n!f;;,. ence bt: not Porter, the Throat will be common for any rhing that the Appetite rcqu1rt:th. O.te ~~.~ht of Heaven or Hell, to awaken their Rca{on and fleepy Co;ifciencolwould be the bdl remedy to 'onvmcc them qf the odioufnef• and dange• of this fin• ~· 34• Diruol.7
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=