Circumspect Walking, Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV.
Speciall rules for meate and drinke.
NOW for the speciall rules of things indifferent, because I must not suffer this discourse to growe so large as it would; omitting all other things indifferent, there be three things, as most common, so more specially to bee treated of; 1. Meate and drinke: 2. Recreation: 3. Apparell: for all which the word of God is plentifull in the rules of Christian wisedome, and direction.
1. Rules for eating and drinking.Rules for eating and drinkings.
First, for the lawfulnesse of it:1. Necessity. 1. It is necessary, to nourish and strengthen vsus in our duties, and repaire strength decaied. 2. It may also serue for delight: for God hath giuen vsus leaue liberally to vse the creatures, not onelyonly bread to strengthen the heart, but oile to make his face glad. 3. God hath affoorded vsus leaue to feast together, and inuite one another, for the maintaining and cherishing of Christian louelove, and mutuall fellowship, as wee see in Iobs children, which was not vnlawfull: & the Primitiue Churches had their agapa's and louelove-feasts, of which the Scripture makes mention, Acts 2. 46.
Secondly, 2. Propriety.for the propriety; wee must eate and drinke our owne, the sweat of our owne browes, not other mens. Many cut large pieces in other mens loaues, I meane that which they know is not theirs, but other mens, if all debts were paied. This is an high kind of iniustice, 2 Thes. 3. 12. not to eat our own bread.
Thirdly, 3. Measurefor the measure: wee must eate and drinke according to the call of nature, or honest and moderate delight, to make vsus and keepe vsus in a fitnesse to godly duties of hearing, reading, praying, &c. All that eating and drinking whereby men make themselues heauy, sleepy, vnweldy, and vnfit for good duties, is sinfull; for this is not a refection or refreshing, but a destruction or oppression of nature.
Fourthly, 4. Affection.for our affection; we must eate and drink with moderation of affection, not to sit at it as though wee had nothing else to doe, as many who bring themselues vnderunder the power of the creature, such as cannot be without the pot at their mouth, or without the pipe at their nose; men of whom the Apostle speakes, that corrupt themselues with the creatures, losing sobriety, modesty, chastity, health, and reason it selfe. Here is an vtter peruerting of Gods ordinance; who hath giuen vsus his creatures to refresh and help our selues by them, but men instead thereof, hurt and destroy themselues by them.
Fifthly, 5. Time.for the time; wee must not so eat and drinke, as wee eat vp also too much time: for so wee hinder our selues in our callings, which we ought specially to further, redeeming the time, Ephes. 5. 16. Numbers set downe to eat and drinke, and in feasting and feeding their bodies, neuer feele the passage of three or foure houres; whereas to sit out a Sermon of one houre long is very tedious; so little care hauehave most men of feeding their soules.
Sixthly, 6. Sweetnesse.in eating, desire to taste the goodnesse and sweetnesse of God himselfe in his creatures; else hauehave wee no better vse of them than the bruit creatures. Say to thy selfe, O Lord, how sweet and good art thou in thy selfe, who canst put such sweetnesse in thy creature?
Seuenthly, 7. Communication.we should vse good and sauoury speech, as salt to our meat, to acknowledge Gods bountie and goodnesse, to praise him and to edifie others. Our empty and barren hearts cannot tell how to weare out the time of feasting, but either in trifles, or inuiting of others to eat and drinke, who need rather bridles, than spurres. Quest. What, no other speech but of Scripture? how then should wee bee merry? Answ. It is true, that commonly all other speech but earnall, is vnsauoury: but a Christian must consider, 1. That he eats and drinks before the Lord, and his speeches must become the presence of God, who heareth and expecteth that all the speech of Christians bee better than silence. 2. All the speeches of Christians ought to sauour of sobriety and wisedome, and the grace of the heart: for, whom call wee to our tables but Gods children by profession, who must bee like themselues eueryevery where? 3. God hath giuen vsus leaue to be merrie, but with this onelyonly restraint, Bee merry in the Lord; not against him; nor setting him out of sight, as those who neuer thinke themselues merry, but in rude and vngodly behauiours and speeches vnbeseeming Christians. Plato and Zenophon thought it fit and profitable, that mens speeches at meales should bee written: And if Christians should so doe, what kinde of bookes would they be?
Eighthly, 8. Meditation of 4. things.in our eating and drinking wee must be carefull to season our harts with these and the like meditations: 1. How prone we are to know immoderate ioy, and prouoke God in our feasts: Iob was suspitious of his sonnes, sent to them to sanctifie themselues, and afterward himselfe sacrificed for them. 2. That wee shall not want incitements or prouocations of such as are inuited with vsus, or otherwise to forget our selues, which incitements wee must watch against, and arme our selues aforehand. I remember the story of Antigonus, who being inuited to a place where a notable harlot was to be present, asked counsell of Menedemus what he should doe: hee bade him onelyonly remember that hee was a Kings sonne. Good men may be inuited where none of the best may meet them; the best counsell is, to keep in mind that they be Kings sonnes, Gods children; and a base thing it were to be allured from their profession, by the vngodly. 3. To consider in our eating and drinking our owne end, and mingle our feasting with a meditation of death; as Ioseph had his tombe in his garden, to season his delight with▪ meditation of his end. Alas, this feeding and feasting is but a little repaire of a ruinous house which must goe downe. The Egyptians had a skeleton or carkasse brought into their feasts to the same purpose: So doe thou, set thine owne carkasse before the eye of thy mind, and it will moderate thee in the pampering of it. 4. Consider how many poore ones want some of thy superfluity. It is a great sin of great men, to drinke wine in boles, and eat the fat, and to forget the affliction of Ioseph, Amos 6. 6. Therfore, Neh. 8. 10. Eat the fat, and drinke the sweet, and send part to them for whom nothing is prepared. Say with thyselfe, Who am I to bee so full, when many are hungry? That I should abound when so many want? How am I indebted vntounto God to be thankefull; and shall I requite his louelove with such vnkindnesse, as to grow wanton, idle, and forgetfull of him, when hee is most mindefull of mee? Must I eat and drinke to rise vp to play? No, I must bestirre me in such duties, wherein I may expresse much louelove for much louelove.