The Christian-man's calling: or, A treatise of making religion ones business. Wherein the nature…

Reader, look upon thy self in regard of thine estate, only as a servant in trust, which thou must shortly give an account of, and then to do good and to distribute thou wilt not forget, as knowing that with such sacrifices God is well pleased, Heb. 3.16.

Secondly Thy duty is to eat and drink soberly. The grace of God which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to us, teaching us to live soberly in this present evil ⟨p. 416⟩world, Tit. 2.12. This sobriety respecteth both the quantity and the quality of thy diet.

Secondly Thy duty is to eat and drink soberly. The grace of God which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to us, teaching us to live soberly in this present evill ⟨p. 416⟩world, Tit. 2.12. This sobriety respecteth both the quantity and the quality of thy diet.

First, Thy duty is to be temperate as to the quantity of thy diet. Reason is content with a little, Religion with less. Although no certain proportion of food can be prescribed to men, for those showers which drown the clay valleys, do hardly quench the thirst of the sandy hills? Neither the bodies of men, nor their stomachs are all of a size; yet this is a certain rule, for a man to eat or drink so much as to oppress nature, and to unfit himself for prayer, is a degree of intemperance. God gave man food to further, not to hinder him in his general, and particular calling; and surely they sin who feed till like fatted horses, they are unfit for service. Turtull. speaking of the carriage of the Primitive Christians at their meals tells us,