The Practice of Piety, Treatise · Part 14 – Part 15
Meditations before Dinner and Supper.
1. MEditate that Hunger is like the sickness called a Wolf, which if thou dost not …eed, will devour thee, and eat thee up; and that meat and drink, are but as*Hoc me docuisti, ut quem…dmod…m medicamenta sic, alimenta sumpturus acc…dam. Aug. l. 10. Conf. physick, or means which God hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity, and necessity of Man. Use therefore to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature, than to satisfie the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat therefore to live, but live not to eat. A Scavenger whose living is to empty, is to be preferred before him that liveth but to fill Privies. There is no service so†Major sum & ad majora genitus. qu…m ut t…cipium … mei corporis. Senec. base, as for a man to be a slave to his belly. The Apostle termeth such, Belly-Gods, Phil. 3. 19. Therefore we may boldly term them, as the Scriptures do other idols,*Of Galal. which signifieth man's Dung, as Ezek. 4. 17, 15. Gillulim, Dungy gods, Hab. 2. 18, 19. 2 King. 17. 12. And as no one action (God's ordinances excepted) makes a man more to resemble a beast, than eating and drinking: so the abuse of eating and drinking to surfeiting, drunkenness and spewing, makes a man more vile than a beast.
2. Meditate on the omnipoten… of God, aHeb. 11. 3.who made all these creatures of nothing: of his wisdom, whobPsal. 145. 15, 16. feedeth so many infinite Creatures through the universal World, maintaining all their lives, which he hath given them; which surpasseth the wisdom of all the Angels in heaven: and of his clemency and goodness, …atth. 5. 5, &c. ct. 14. 17.in feeding also his very enemies.
3. Meditate, how many sorts of Creatures, as beasts, fish, and fowl, have lost their lives, to become food to nourish thee: and how God's Providence from remote places hath brought all these portions together on thy table, for thy nourishment; and how by these dead creatures he maintains thee in health and life.
4. Meditate, that seeing thou hast so many†Hanc ob causam Gen…les mens…s …cras & festa …inab n…. …i…es. pledges of God's fatherly bounty, goodness and mercy towards thee, as there are dishes of meat on thy Table; Oh suffer not in such a place, so gracious a God to be abused by scurrility, ribauldry, or swearing: or thy*St. Austin had written … his able: Quisquis amat dictis abs…nt…m …d…re amicum, Hanc mensam vecitam noverit esse sibi. Poss…d. de vi…a Aug. fellow brother, by disgraceful back-biting, taunting, or slandering.
5. Meditate, how that thy Master Jesus Christ did never eat any food, but first he blessed the Creatures, and gaveaLuk. 9. 16. Mat. 14. 19. & 15. 36. Mark 6. 41. & 8. 6. Luk. 24. 30. Joh. 6. 11. thanks to his heavenly Father for the same. And after his last Supper, we read that he sung a bMat. 26. 30. Mar 14. 26.Psalm. For this was the Commandment of God,cDeut. 8. 10. When thau hast eaten and filled thy self, thou shalt bless the Lord thy God, &c. This was the Practice of the Prophets: Ford1 Sam. 9. 13. people would not eat at their feast, till Samuel came to bless their meat. And saith Joel to God's people: eJoel 2. 26.Ye shall eat and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the Lord your God. This also was the practice of thefAct. 27. 35. Apostles. For St. Paul in the ship, gave thanks before meat, in the presence of all the people that were therein. Imitate thou therefore in so holy an action, so blessed a Master, and so many worthy Precedents that have followed him, and gone before thee. It may be because thou hast never used to give thanks at meals, therefore thou art now ashamed to begin. Think it no shame to do what Christ did; but be rather ashamed that thou hast so long neglected so Christian a duty.Joh. 6. 9, 11. And if the Son of God gave his Father such great thanks for a dinner of barley bread, and broiled fish; what thanks should such a sinful man as thou art, render unto God, for such variety of good and dainty cheer? How many a true Christian would be glad to fill his belly with the morsels which thou refusest; and do lack that which thou leavest? How hardly do others labour for that which they eat, and thou hast thy food provided for thee, without either care or labour? To conclude, if Pagan Idolaters at their Feasts were accustomed to praise their false Gods; Dan. 5. 1, 4.what a shame is it for a Christian, (at his dinners and suppers) not to praise the true God, in whom we live, move, Act. 17. 28.and have our being?
6. Meditate, that thy body, which thou dost now so daintily feed, must be (thou knowest not how soon) meat for worms: When thou shalt say to corruption, …ob 1… 14.thou art my Father; and to the Worm, thou art my Mother and my Sister.
7. Meditate, how that many a Man's table is made his snare: Psal. 69. 22.so that through his intemperance and unthankfulness, the meat which should nourish his body, kills him with a surfeit: insomuch, that more are killed with this*Gen. 3. 17. snare, than with the sword. And seeing that since the Curse, the use (as of all creatures, so likewise) of meat and drink, is unto us unclean, till the same be†1 Tim. 4. 4, 5. sanctified by the Word of God, and Prayer: and that man liveth not bybMat. 4. 4. bread only, but by the Word of God's Ordinance; and his blessing, which is called the cLev▪ 26. 26.staff of bread. Sit not therefore down to eat,Ezek. 4. 16. and 5. 16. before youd1 Sam. 9. 13. pray, Mat. 14. 19. Luk. 24. 30. 2 Cor. 10. 16.and rise not before you give GodeRom. 14. 6. 1 Thes. 5. 18. thanks. Feed to sufficefEccl. 10. 1…. nature, Luk. 21. 3….yet rise with an appetite; and remember thy poor ChristiangNeh 5 17. brethren, who suffer hunger, and want those good things,Amos 6. 6. wherewith thou dost abound.
These things, or some of them premeditated, (if there be not ah1 Sam. 9. 13 Samuel present)iMat. 14. 19. lift up with all comely reverence, thy heart with thy hands and eyes, unto the great Creator and Feeder of all Creatures, and before Meat, pray unto him thus:
Grace before Meat.
O Most gracious God, and loving Father, who feedestaPsal 10. 17. all creatures living, whichbJoel 1. 10. depend upon thy divine providence; Psal. 147. 9we beseech thec1 Tim. 4. 5. sanctifie these creatures, which thou hast ordained for us; give them virtue to nourish our bodies in life and health: and give us grace to receive them soberly and thankfully, as from thy hands; that so in thed1 King. 13. 8. strength of these and other thy blessings, we may walk in the uprightness of our hearts, before thy face, this day, and all the days of our lives, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
Or thus.
MOst gracious God and merciful Father, we beseech thee sanctifie these Creatures to our use, make them healthful for our nourishment; and us thankful for all thy blessings, through Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
Another Grace before Meat.
O Eternal God, in whom we live, move, and have our being, we beseech thee bless unto thy Servants these Creatures, that in the strength of them we may live, to the setting forth of thy praise, and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
After every meal be careful of thy self and family, as Job was for himself, and his Children, Job 1. 4. lest that in the chearfulness of eating and drinking, some speech hath slipped out, which might be either offensive to God or injurious to man; and therefore with the like comely g…sture and reverence give thanks unto God, and p…ay in this manner.
BLessed be thy holy Name, O Lord, our God, for these thy good benefits, wherewith thou hast so plentifully at this time refreshed our bodies: O Lord, vouchsafe likewise to feed our souls with the spiritual food of thy holy Word and Spirit unto life everlasting. Lord, defend and save thy whole Church, our gracious King Charles, Queen Mary, the noble and hopeful Prince Charles, with the rest of the royal progeny; the Lady Elizabeth, the Kings only Sister, and her Princely issue: Forgive us our sins, and unthankfulness, pass by our manifold infirmities, make us all mindful of our last end, and of the reckoning that we are to make to thee therein, and in the mean while grant unto us health, peace, and truth, in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and only Saviour. Amen.
Or thus:
BLessed be thy Holy name, (O Lord) for these thy good benefits, wherewith thou hast refreshed us at this time. Lord forgive us all our sins and frailties: save and defend thy whole Church, our King, and his Royal posterity, and grant us health, peace, and truth, in Christ our only Saviour. Amen.
Or thus:
WE give thee thanks (O heavenly Father) for feeding our bodies so graciously with thy good creatures to this temporal life: beseeching thee likewise to feed our souls with thy holy Word unto life everlasting. Defend (O Lord) thine universal Church, the King, and his royal Posterity, and grant us continuance of thy grace and mercy, in Christ our only Saviour. Amen.
The Practice of Piety at Evening.
At Evening, when the due time of repairing to rest approacheth, call together again all thy Family. Read a Chapter in the same manner, that was prescribed in the morning▪ Then (in holy imitation of our Lord, and his Disciples) sing a Psalm. But in singing of Psalms, either after Supper, or at any other time, observe these rules.
Rules to be observed in singing of Psalm.
1. BEware of singing divine Psalms for an ordinary recreation; as do men of impure Spirits, who sing holy Psalms, intermingled with prophane Ballads.
They are God's Word, take them not in thy mouth in vain.
2 Remember to sing David's Psalms, with David's Spirit.
3.Mat. 12. 43. Practise Saint Paul's rule,a1 Cor. 14. 15. I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the understanding also.
4. As you sing,b1 Cor. 11. 4. uncover your heads and behave your selves in comely reverence, as in the sight of God, singing to God, in God's own words: but be sure that the matter make morecEph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. melody in your hearts, than the Musick in your ear: for the singing with grace in our hearts, is that which the Lord is delighted withal, according to that old verse:
Non vox, sed votum, non musica cordula, sed cor:
Non clamans, sed amans psallit in aure Dei.
'Tis not the voice, but vow;
Sound heart, not sounding string;
True zeal, not outward show,
That in God's ear doth ring.
5. Thou maiest (if thou thinkest good) sing all the Psalms over in order: for all are most divine, and comfortable But if thou wilt chuse some special Psalms, as more fit for some times and purposes; and such, as by the oft usage, thy people may the easilier commit to memory;
Then sing,
In the Morning, Psal. 3. 5. 16. 22. 144.
In the Evening, Psal. 4. 127. 141.
For mercy after a sin committed, Psal 51. 103.
In sickness, or heaviness, Psal. 6. 13. 89. 90. 91. 137. 146.
When thou art recovered, Psal. 30. 32.
On the Sabbath day, Psal. 19. 92. 95.
In time of joy, Psal. 80. 98. 107. 136. 145.
Before Sermon, Psal. 1. 12. 147. the 1. and 5. Part of the 119.
After Sermon, any Psalm which concerneth the chief argument of the Sermon
At the Communion, Psal. 22. 23. 103. 111. 116.
For spiritual solace, Psal. 15. 19. 25. 46. 67. 112. 116.
After wrong and disgrace received, Psal. 42. 69. 70. 140. 144.
After the Psalm, all kneeling down in reverent manner (as is before described) let the Father of the Family (or the chiefest in his absence) pray thus.