The Practice of Piety

1 Meditate that hunger is like the sickness called a Woolf: which ⟨p. 451⟩if thou doest not feed; vvill devour thee, and eat thee up: and that meat and drink,¹ are but as Physic, or means which GOD hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity, and necessity of man. Use therefore to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature; then to satisfy the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat therefore to live, but live not to eat. A Scavenger, whose living is to empty; is to be preferred before him, that liveth but to fill Privies. There is no service so ^*base; as for a man to be a slave to his belly. The Apostle termeth such, Belly-gods, Phil. 3.19. Therefore we may boldly ⟨p. 452⟩term them as the Scriptures do other Idols, ^*Gillulim, Dungy gods. Hab. 2.18.19. 2 King. 17.12. And as no one action (Gods ordinance excepted) makes a man more to resemble a beast, then eating or drinking: so the abuse of eating and drinking to surfeiting, drunkenness, and spewing; makes a man more vile then a beast.