Th•rteenthly, You must sanctify the Sabbath, by such an §13abstinence or moderate use of all your lawful comforts, con•entments and enjoyments, as may tender you most apt and fit for the sanctification of the Sabbath. Let your moderation •e known among all men always; but especially on the Lords day, be moderate in your eating, drinking, entertainments, 1&c. Oh how do many by their immoderate use of lawful comforts on this day, indispose and unfit themselves for the duties of the day! It is a Christians duty every day to eat and drink soberly; Titus 2. 11, 12. The grace of God which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to us, teaching us to live soberly in this present world. It is both the duty and the glory 2of a Christian, to be temperate in his diet. A little will satisfy nature; less will satisfy Grace, though nothing will satisfy mens lusts. Sobriety is a gift of God, whereby we ⟨p. 255⟩keep a holy moderation in the use of our diet, Prov. 23. When thou sittest to eat, &c. consider diligently what is before thee, and put the knife to thy throat. That is, be very careful and circumspect in taking thy food, bridle thine appetite, take heed thou dost not exceed measure. He may endanger his health, his life, his soul, that gives way to his greedy appetite. Some read the words thus, For th•u puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Thou shortenest thy life, and diggest as it were thine own grave with thine own teeth. Meat kills as many as the Musket; the Board as the 3Sword. I know that the bodies, stomachs, callings, constitutions, and climates, wherein men live, differ; and therefore 4no such particular Rules (as to eating and drinking) can be laid down as shall be binding to every one. Yet this is certain, that a man that eats or drinks so much (on the Lords Day) as oppresses nature, and as unfits him for praying, working, or hearing work, or reading work, or closet work, that man is guilty of intemperance. Such who feed till they unfit themselves for service, are Belly-Gods. Paul wept over such in his day, and so should we in ours. Thou shouldst use thy food O Christian, as a help, and not as a hinderance to thee in thy Christian course. A full belly never studies well, nor never prays well, nor never hears well, nor never reads well, nor never repeats well, nor never doth any thing well either on the Lords day, or any other day.
Th•rteenthly, You must sanctifie the Sabbath, by such an §13abstinence or moderate use of all your lawful comforts, con•entments and enjoyments, as may tender you most apt and fit for the sanctification of the Sabbath. Let your moderation •e known among all men alwayes; but especially on the Lords day, be moderate in your eating, drinking, entertainments, 1&c. Oh how do many by their immoderate use of lawful comforts on this day, indispose and unfit themselves for the duties of the day! It is a Christians duty every day to eat and drink soberly; Titus 2. 11, 12. The grace of God which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to us, teaching us to live soberly in this present world. It is both the duty and the glory 2of a Christian, to be temperate in his diet. A little will satisfie nature; less will satisfie Grace, though nothing will satisfie mens lusts. Sobriety is a gift of God, whereby we ⟨p. 255⟩keep a holy moderation in the use of our dyet, Prov. 23. When thou sittest to eat, &c. consider diligently what is before thee, and put the knife to thy throat. That is, be very careful and circumspect in taking thy food, bridle thine appe•i•e, take heed thou dost not exceed measure. He may endanger his health, his life, his soul, that gives way to his greedy appetite. Some read the words thus, For th•u putt••t a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Thou shortnest thy life, and diggest as it were thine own grave with thine own teeth. Meat kills as many as the Musket; the Board as the 3Sword. I know that the bodies, stomacks, callings, constitutions, and climates, wherein men live, differ; and therefore 4no such particular Rules (as to eating and drinking) can be laid down as shall be binding to every one. Yet this is certain, that a man that eats or drinks so much (on the Lords Day) as oppresses nature, and as unfits him for praying, working, or hearing work, or reading work, or closet work, that man is guilty of intemperance. Such who feed till they unfit themselves for service, are Belly-Gods. Paul wept over such in his day, and so should we in ours. Thou shouldst use thy food O Christian, as a help, and not as a hinderance to thee in thy Christian course. A full belly never studies well, nor never prayes well, nor never hears well, nor never reads well, nor never repeats well, nor never doth any thing well either on the Lords day, or any other day.
- 1Phil. 4. 5.
- 2The Greeks call Sobriety the Keeper and Guard of Wisdom.
- 3Ch•ysost.
- 4In the hot Eastern Countries men have lived long with parched Corn and a Cake, but their example is no rule for us. Phil. 3. 18, 19.In the hot Eastern Countreys men have lived long with par•hed Corn and a Cake, but their example is no rule for us. Phil. 3. 18, 19.
