Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

The Life of Faith. humility (asby going through the (trees with their breeches on their heads, and other fuch fooleries :) For God-will give you humbling occafions enough, when he fceth good : But when he doth it, be fore that you improve thtm to the abafing of your [elves : and ufe your felves to be above the diem of man, and to bear contempt when it's call upon you (as Chri(I did for your fakes) though not to drawit foolithly or wilful- ly upon your felves. He that bath but once born the contempt of men, is much better able to bear it afterwards, than he that never underwent it, but thinketh that he bath an entire repu- tation topreferve : And he that is more follicitous of his du- ty, and moil indifferent in point ofhonour, doth ufuallybell fecure his honour by fuch neglc t, and alwaies belt undergo dithonour. CHAP. XVI. How to [cape the fin of Fulnefs or Luxury ly Faith. HE fccond [in of Sodom, and fruit of abufrd Prolperity, I is Fulnefl of Briiad,Ezek. 15 49 Concerning which (ha- ving alto handled it elfewhere more at large) I (hall now brief- ly give you thcfegeneral I)ircéï:ions fiat, and then a few that are more particular. Dircc` . L Underftand well what finf 1 Fulnefiis : It is lin -. ful, when it bath anyone of thcfc ill conditions. i. When you eat or drink more in quantity, than is con filent with the due prcfervation of your health or fo much as hurteth your health or reafon. For the ufe of food is to fit us for our duty ; and therefore that which difableth and unfit- erb us, is too much. But here both theprepit and future muff be confidered. 2. When you have no higher end in eating and drinking, . than the plea fng ofyour appetite, Be it little or much, it is to be ju?ged of according to its end. Abail hath no other end,- b_cauft he hath no reafon, and foproperly bath, no end at all : Bat we are bound to eat and drink, fo the glory of God, and to 4 all to.furthrrus in his fciviee; i Cór °i'o:"3t The appetite may; br N n n 465 1

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