Works, Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. Special Rules for Meat and Drink.
NOW for the ſpecial Rules of things indifferent, becauſe I muſt not ſuffer this Diſcourſe to grow ſo large as it would; omitting all other things indifferent, there bee three things, as moſt common, ſo more ſpecially to bee treated of:
1 Meat and drink. 2 Recreation. 3 Apparel. For all which the word of God is plentiful in the Rules of Chriſtian Wiſdome, and Direction.
I. Rules for Eating and Drinking.
Rule… f…r eating and d…inking. 1 Neceſſity.Firſt, For the lawfulneſs of it: 1 It is neceſſary to nouriſh and ſtrengthen us in our duties, and repair ſtrength decayed. 2 It may alſo ſerve for delight; for God hath given us leave liberally to uſe the creatures, not onelyonly bread to ſtrengthen the heart, but oyl to make his face glad. 3 God hath afforded us leave to feaſt togeth…r, and invite one another, for the maintaining and cheriſhing of Chriſtian love, and mutual fellowſhip, as wee ſee in Jobs children, which was nor unlawful; and the Primitive Churches had their Agapa's and Love-feaſts, of which the Scripture makes mention, Act. 2.46.
2 Propriety.Secondly, For the Propriety; Wee muſt eat and drink our own, the ſweat of our own brows, not other mens. Many cut large peeces in other mens loaves, I mean that which they know is not theirs, but other mens, if all debts were payed. This is an high kinde of injuſtice, 2 Theſſ. 3.12. not to eat our own bread.
3 Meaſure.Thirdly, For the Meaſure: Wee muſt eat and drink according to the call of Nature or honeſt and moderate delight, to make us, and keep us in a fitn…ſs to godly duties of hearing, reading, praying, &c. All that eating and drinking whereby men make themſelves, heavy, ſleepy, unwieldy, and unfit for good duties, is ſinful; for this is not a refection, or refreſhing, but a deſtruction, or oppreſſion of nature.
4 Affection.Fourthly, For our Affection; Wee muſt eat and drink with moderation of affection, not to ſit at it, as though wee had nothing elſe to do, as many who bring themſelves under the power of the creature, ſuch as cannot bee without the Pot at their mouth, or without the Pipe at their noſe; men of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaks, that corrupt themſelves with the creatures, loſing ſobriety, modeſty, chaſtity, health, and reaſon it ſelf. Here is an utter perverting of God Ordinance, who hath given us his creatures to refreſh and help our ſelves by them, but men inſtead thereof, hurt and deſtroy themſelves by them.
5 Time.Fifthly. For the time; Wee muſt not ſo eat and drink, as wee eat up alſo too much time; for ſo wee hinder our ſelves in our Callings, which wee ought ſpecially to further, Redeeming the time, Eph. 5.16. Numbers ſet down to eat and drink, and in feaſting and feeding their bodies, never feel the paſſage of three or four hours; whereas to ſit out a Sermon one hour long is very tedious; ſo little care have moſt men of feeding their ſouls.
6 Sweetneſs.Sixthly, In eating, deſire to taſte the goodneſs and ſweetneſs of God himſelf in his creatures; elſe have wee no better uſe of them than the brute creatures. Say to thy ſelf, O Lord, how ſweet and good art thou in thy ſelf, who canſt put ſuch ſweetneſs in thy creature?
7 Communication.Seventhly, Wee ſhould uſe good and ſavoury ſpeech, as ſalt to our meat, to acknowledge Gods bounty and goodneſs, to praiſe him, and to edifie others. Our empty and barren hearts cannot tell how to wear out the time of feaſting, but either in trifles, or inviting of others to eat and drink, who need rather bridles, than ſpurs.
Queſt. What, no other ſpeech but of Scripture? How then ſhould wee bee merry?
Anſw. It is true, That commonly all other ſpeech but carnal, is unſavoury: But a Chriſtian muſt conſider, 1 That hee 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 ſavour of ſobriety and wiſdome, and the grace of the heart; for, whom call wee to our tables but Gods children by profeſſion, who muſt be like themſelves every where? 3 God hath given us leave to bee merry, but with this only reſtraint, Bee merry in the Lord; not againſt him, nor ſetting him out of ſight, as thoſe who never think themſelves merry, but in rude and ungodly behaviours and ſpeeches unbeſeeming Chriſtians.
Plato and Zenephon thought it fit and profitable, that mens ſpeeches at Meals ſhould bee written: And if Chriſtians ſhould ſo do, what kinde of books would they bee?
Eightly, … Meditation of four things.In our eating and drinking wee muſt bee careful to ſeaſon our hearts with theſe, and the like Meditations: 1 How prone wee are to know immoderate joy, and provoke God in our feaſts. Job was ſuſpicious of his ſons, ſent to them to ſanctifie themſelves, and afterward himſelf ſacrificed for them. 2 That wee ſhall not want incitements or provocations of ſuch as are invited with us, or otherwiſe to forget our ſelves, which incitements wee muſt watch againſt, and arm our ſelves aforehand.
I remember the ſtory of Antigonus, who being invited to a place, where a notable Harlot was to bee preſent, asked counſel of Menedemus what hee ſhould do: Hee bad him onelyonly remember that hee was a Kings Son.
Good men may bee invited where none of the beſt may meet them; the beſt counſel is, to keep in minde that they bee Kings Sons, Gods Children; and a baſe thing it were to bee allured from their profeſſion, by the ungodly. 3 To conſider in our eating and drinking our own end, and mingle our feaſting with a meditation of death: As Joſeph had his Tomb in his Garden, to ſeaſon his delight with meditation of his end. Alas, this feeding and feaſting, is but a little repair of a ruinous houſe which muſt go down. The Egyptians had a Skeleton or carkaſs brought into their feaſts to the ſame purpoſe: So do thou, ſet thine own carkaſs before the eye of thy minde, and it will moderate thee in the pampering of it. 4 Conſider how many poor ones want ſome of thy ſuperfluity. It is a great ſin of great men, to drink wine in bowls, and eat the fat, and to forget the affliction of Joſeph, Amos 6.6. Therefore Neh. 8.10. Eat the fas, and drink the ſweet, and ſend part to them for whom nothing is prepared. Say with thy ſelf, Who am I to bee ſo full, when many are hungry? That I ſhould abound, when ſo many want? How am I indebted unto God to be thankful; and ſhall I requite his love with ſuch unkindneſs, as to grow wanton, idle, and forgetful of him when hee is moſt mindeful of mee? Muſt I eat and drink to riſe up to play? No, I muſt beſtir mee in ſuch duties, wherein I may expreſs much love, for much love.