And then further, which is a main thing; because fullness doth not only afford a temptation to sin, but fuel for all kinds of lust; fullness will feed them if you have not learned to be full. As now, If a man hath the lust of pride, there he hath enough to act his pride, he will feed it to the full; and will make a proud man to be a scornful man: so that he will scorn and jeer, not only at his Brethren, but at God, and his truth, and Ministers, and Religion, and all because he is full; ⟨p. 27⟩his pride is so fed to the full. And fullness of estate it will feed self-love extremely. When a man hath a kind of self-sufficiency in himself, then he sees no need that he hath of God, nor Christ, nor Mercy, nor of the Word and Promises. It feeds his Malice, if he hath a malicious spirit against another man, he can undo him, and he can spend so much to have his will; it feeds his Stubbornness. If he will be unclean, he can, and who will meddle with such an one. And it will feed his Licentiousness, he can take his liberty and ride up and down from place to place. A poor man hath as much mind perhaps to satisfy his lusts, but he must fall to his work, or else his family will starve: I but a man that is full, he hath elbow-room enough to serve his lusts, and he can go abroad in the morning and stay till midnight; and spend from the beginning of the week to the end of it, and not want. O this is mighty pleasing to flesh, and this feeds a mans lusts, and makes him strong. And this is the reason why there are so few that are full, that ever the Word doth good upon. Ordinarily the poor receive the Gospel, so the Scripture saith; Not many rich, not many mighty, not many great ones. Why here's the reason of it, because they have so much matter to feed their lusts withal, that their lusts grows too strong, that it doth resist the Word, resists all means that should do them any good; and therefore it's a very hard lesson for a man to learn to know how to be full. And that that shows it to be a hard lesson, also shows it to be a necessary lesson. O Lord what case is a man in then that is full, and yet for all that hath not learned to be full. If he hath such matter for his lusts, and knows not how to order himself, he is like to be a lost man.
And then further, which is a main thing; because fulness doth not onely afford a temptation to sin, but fewel for all kinds of lust; fulness will feed them if you have not learned to be full. As now, If a man hath the lust of pride, there he hath enough to act his pride, he will feed it to the full; and will make a proud man to be a scornful man: so that he will scorn and jeer, not onely at his Brethren, but at God, and his truth, and Ministers, and Religion, and all because he is full; ⟨p. 27⟩his pride is so fed to the full. And fulness of estate it will feed self-love extreamly. When a man hath a kind of self-sufficiency in himself, then he sees no need that he hath of God, nor Christ, nor Mercy, nor of the Word and Promises. It feeds his Malice, if he hath a malicious spirit against another man, he can undo him, and he can spend so much to have his will; it feeds his Stubbornness. If he will be unclean, he can, and who will meddle with such an one. And it will feed his Licentiousness, he can take his liberty and ride up and down from place to place. A poor man hath as much mind perhaps to satisfie his lusts, but he must fall to his work, or else his family will starve: I but a man that is full, he hath elbow-room enough to serve his lusts, and he can go abroad in the morning and stay till midnight; and spend from the beginning of the week to the end of it, and not want. O this is mighty pleasing to flesh, and this feeds a mans lusts, and makes him strong. And this is the reason why there are so few that are full, that ever the Word doth good upon. Ordinarily the poor receive the Gospel, so the Scripture saith; Not many rich, not many mighty, not many great ones. Why here's the reason of it, because they have so much matter to feed their lusts withal, that their lusts grows too strong, that it doth resist the Word, resists all means that should do them any good; and therefore it's a very hard lesson for a man to learn to know how to be full. And that that shews it to be a hard lesson, also shews it to be a necessary lesson. O Lord what case is a man in then that is full, and yet for all that hath not learned to be full. If he hath such matter for his lusts, and knows not how to order himself, he is like to be a lost man.
