The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

§. 18.¹ The Christian Religion forbiddeth men no Bodily pleasure, but that which hindereth their greater pleasure, and tendeth to their pain or sorrow, nor doth it deny them any earthly thing, which is truly for their good.

1. 1Nihil prodigae satis est voluptati: semper famem patitur sui quae alimentis perpetuis nescit impleri. Ambros. in. Luk. 6.

Indeed it taketh the brutish appetite and flesh, to be an unfit Judge of what is truly good and desirable for us: And it forbiddeth much which the Flesh doth crave: Because either it tendeth to the wrong of others, or the breach of order ⟨p. 238⟩in the World;¹ or to the corrupting of mans mind, and diverting it from things sublime and spiritual, or putting it out of relish with that which is our true felicity, or the way thereto. It is only on such accounts, and in such cases as these, that Christ forbiddeth us the pleasures of the flesh: And so will Parents restrain the appetites of their Children, and Physicians of their Patients, and every wise man will restrain his own,² when present sensual pleasure tendeth to greater future pain. The satisfying delights of man can be no where but in the love of God, and in a heavenly life, and in the foresight of endless joys, and in the knowledge and means which lead to these: And the unwholesome luscious pleasures of the Flesh, do greatly tend to draw down the mind,³ and corrupt the affections, and dull our desires and endeavours towards these higher things: And therefore our Saviour doth strictlyer here diet us, than is pleasing to diseased Souls. But he loveth not our sorrows or pains, nor envieth us any desirable pleasure: He came not to torment us, but to save us from torment: If he forbid us any delight, it is because he would have us have better and more, which that would keep us from. If he teach us to deny our Honour with men, it is but that we may have Honour with God and Angels. If he call us from our present wealth and profit,