The beatitudes

I shall next briefly prescribe some helps to spiritual hunger.

1. Avoid those things which will hinder your appetite. As, 1. Windy things. When the stomach is full of wind, a man hath little appetite to his food; so when one is filled with a windy opinion of his own righteousness, he will not hunger after Christs righteousness; he who being puffed up with pride, thinks he hath grace enough already, will not hunger after more; These windy vapours spoil the stomach. 2. Sweet things destroy the appetite: so by feeding immoderately upon the sweet, luscious delights of the world, we lose our appetite to Christ and Grace. You never knew a man surfeit himself upon the world, and sick of love to Christ; while Israel fed with delight upon Garlic and Onions, they never hungered after Manna; the soul cannot be carried to two extremes at ⟨p. 171⟩once; as the eye cannot look intent on heaven and earth at once^*, so a man cannot at the same instant hunger excessively after the world, and righteousness! the earth puts out the fire; the love of earthly things will quench the desire of spiritual, 1 John 2.15. Love not the world, the sin is not in the having, but in the loving.

1. Avoid those things which will hinder your appetite. As, 1. Windy things. When the stomach is full of wind, a man hath little appetite to his food; so when one is fill'd with a windy opinion of his own righteousness, he will not hunger after Christs righteousnesse; he who being puff'd up with pride, thinks he hath grace enough already, will not hunger after more; These windy vapours spoil the stomack. 2. Sweet things destroy the appetite: so by feeding immoderately upon the sweet, luscious delights of the world, we lose our appetite to Christ and Grace. You never knew a man surfeit himself upon the world, and sick of love to Christ; while Israel fed with delight upon Garlick and Onions, they never hungred after Manna; the soul cannot be carried to two extremes at