He has not only created a dulness in his soul, but has perverted its taste: for he can be pleased with a romance, or impertinent history, while he has no relish for a book of devotion.
This shews, that fasting has a nearer relation to all religious tempers than is generally thought; and that full feeding not only dulls the mind, but more particularly gives it a dulness towards the things of religion.
XII. *Indeed every indulgence of the body in eating and drinking, is adding to its power over the soul.
A man that makes every day a day of full and chearful meals, will by degrees make the happiness of every day depend upon it, and consider every thing with regard to it.
He will go to church or stay at home, as it suits with his dinner, and not scruple to tell you, that he generally eats too heartily to go to afternoon service.
Now such people are under a worse disorder than the jaundice, and have their sight more perverted than he that sees all things yellow.
For what discernment have they, who have more taste for the preparations of the kitchen, than for the comforts of the house of God: who chuse rather to make themselves unfit for divine service, than to baulk the pleasure of a full meal?
Can they think they have the Spirit of Christ who are thus enslaved to gluttony? Or can they be said, to have forsaken all to follow him, who will not so much as forsake half a meal for the worship of God?
XIII. I know it will be thought too severe to call that gluttony, because it is the practice of numbers of people of worth and reputation. But I hope they will turn their dislike of the name into a dislike of the thing: for ’tis as certainly gluttony as picking of pockets is stealing.
The sin of gluttony is the sin of over-eating. Now this may be difficult to state exactly in some cases. But he that owns he eats so much as renders him indisposed for the public worship of God, has determined against himself, and put his own case out of all question.