I have told you (brethren), believe it as a sure truth, which your experience shall justify, though your tongues may deny: You shall not be confirmed in the inward man, if you do not keep your selves somewhat short in outward liberties of the body, about profit, pleasure, food, attire, and the rest of these bodily, and sensual matters. O prefer thy soul before thy body; and make more account of inward strength, then of outward ⟨p. 136⟩wealth, credit, or merriment. But lastly, if a man do starve himself for want of victual,1 and pine his body, by neglecting his due meals, it is without all doubt, that he shall have a weak and feeble body. So it is also for the soul. The Lord that hath ordained bread to make mans heart strong, hath ordained also the spiritual food of his soul, prayer, preaching, the sacraments, holy meditations of the Word, and works of God. These are as requisite for the souls increase in grace; as meat, and drink, and cloth, for the bodies proceeding in strength. Now as it often falleth out in the body, that there grows upon it a certain kind of craziness and stomacklesnesse, which makes a man to have no mind of his victuals; and then the longer he abstaineth, the less mind he hath to eat, the less ability to digest: so it cometh to pass likewise in the inward man; the soul begins to take little content in prayer, in reading the Scriptures, in hearing the word preached, in the receiving of the holy sacrament. These things are not desired, nor delighted in, with half so much ardour & fervour, as in former time. When the case stands thus with the soul (and likely the coming in of gain and preferment, by diverting the thoughts and affections from things heavenly, to things earthly, do bring the soul to this case), then it grows weaker and weaker, and often falleth grossly and palpably. Yea, it cometh to pass sometimes, that afflictions lying hard upon a man, do even put his soul out of taste, through the sourness and bitterness of carnal sorrow, that he findeth no appetite to holy exercises, (which are the repasts of the soul) nor any contentment in them: then grace is in the wane also; then all virtues wither and languish, and the soul fareth like unto him ⟨p. 137⟩that cannot eat is victuals, whose very cheeks show it:
I haue told you (brethrē), belieue it as a sure truth, which your experience shal iustifie, though your tongues may deny: You shall not be confirmed in the inward man, if you doe not keepe your selues somewhat short in outward liberties of the body, about profit, pleasure, foode, attire, and the rest of these bodily, and sensuall matters. O preferre thy soule before thy bodie; and make more account of inward strength, then of outward ⟨p. 136⟩wealth, credit, or merriment. But lastly, if a man doe starue himselfe for want of victuall,1 and pine his body, by neglecting his due meales, it is without all doubt, that he shall haue a weake and feeble body. So it is also for the soule. The Lord that hath ordained bread to make mans heart strong, hath ordained also the spirituall foode of his soule, prayer, preaching, the sacraments, holy meditations of the Word, and works of God. These are as requisite for the soules increase in grace; as meate, and drinke, and cloth, for the bodies proceeding in strength. Now as it often falleth out in the body, that there growes vpon it a certaine kind of crazinesse and stomacklesnesse, which makes a man to haue no mind of his victuals; and then the longer hee abstaineth, the lesse mind he hath to eate, the lesse abilitie to digest: so it commeth to passe likewise in the inward man; the soule begins to take little content in prayer, in reading the Scriptures, in hearing the word preached, in the receiuing of the holy sacrament. These things are not desired, nor delighted in, with halfe so much ardour & feruour, as in former time. When the case stands thus with the soule (and likely the comming in of gaine and preferment, by diuerting the thoughts and affections from things heauenly, to things earthly, doe bring the soule to this case), then it growes weaker and weaker, and often falleth grossely and palpably. Yea, it commeth to passe sometimes, that afflictions lying hard vpon a man, doe euen put his soule out of tast, through the sowernesse and bitternesse of carnall sorrow, that hee findeth no appetite to holy exercises, (which are the repasts of the soule) nor any cōtentment in them: then grace is in the wane also; then all vertues wither and languish, and the soule fareth like vnto him ⟨p. 137⟩that cannot eate is victuals, whose very cheekes shew it:
- 14. By being constant in religious exercises.
