The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

The truth is (if you would be resolved how far you may please or displease the flesh), The flesh being ordained to be our servant and Gods servant, must be used as a servant: You will give your servant food, and raiment, and wholesome lodging, and good usage, or else you are unjust, and he will be unfit to do your work: ⟨p. 368⟩But so far as he would Master you, or disobey you, you will correct him or keep him under. You will feed your horse, or else he will not carry you: But if he grow unruly, you must tame him. It is a delusory formality of Papists to tie all the Countries to one time and measure of fasting, as Lent, Fridays, &c. when mens states are so various that many (though not quite sick) have more need of a restoring diet; and those that need fasting, need it not all at once, nor in one measure, but at the time, and in the measure, as the taming of their flesh requireth it. As […] Physician should proclaim that all his Patients should take Physic such 40 days every year, whether their disease be plethoric or consuming, from fullness or from abstinence, and whether the disease take him at that time of the year or another. And remember that you must not under pretences of saving the body, disable it to serve God. You will not lay any such correction on your Child or Servant as shall disable them from their work, but such as shall excite them to it. And understand that all your Afflicting your body must be but either Preventive, as keeping the fire from the thatch, or Medicinal and Corrective, and not strictly Vindictive: for that belongs to your Judge: Though in a subordination to the other ends, the smart or ⟨p. 369⟩suffering for its fault, is one end, and so it is truly Penal or Vindictive, as all Chastisement is: And so Paul saith, Behold what Revenge, &c. 2 Cor. 7.11. But not as mere Judicial Revenge is. Remember therefore, though you must so far tame your Body as to bring it into subjection, that you perish not by pampering it; yet not so far as to bring it to weakness, and sickness, and unfitness for its duty: Nor yet must you dare to conceit that you please God, or satisfy him for your sin, by such a wronging and hurting your own body. Such Popish Religiousness shows that men have very low and carnal conceits of God. Was it not a base wickedness in them that offered their Children in sacrifice, to think that God would be pleased with such cruelty?