19. It is the greater sin, because it is so frequently committed; men live in it as their daily practice and delight; they live for it, and make it the end of other sins: it is not a sin that they seldom fall into, but it is almost as familiar with them, as to eat and drink: being turned into beasts, they live like beasts continually.
20. Lastly, it is a spreading sin, and therefore is become common, even the sin of countries, of rich and poor; for both sorts love their bellies, though both have not the like provision for them. And they are so far from taking warning one of another, that they are encouraged one by another; and the sin is scarce noted in one of a hundred that daily liveth in it: nor is there almost any that reprove it, or help one another against it, (unless by impoverishing each other,) but most by persuasions and examples do encourage it (though some much more than others): so that by this time you may see that it is no rare, nor venial, little sin.
And now you may see also, that it is no wonder if no one of the commandments expressly forbid this sin, (not only because it is a sin against ourselves directly, but also,) because it is against every one also of the commandments. And think not that either riches or poverty will excuse it, when even princes are restrained so much as from unseasonable eating, Eccles. x. 16. If it was one of the great sins that Sodom was burnt with fire for, judge whether England be in no danger by it. Read, O England, and know thyself, and tremble: Ezek. xvi. 49, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom; pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness, was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy."
IV. The Directions or Helps against it.
Direct. I. Mortify the flesh, according to the directions, chap. iv. part vii. Subdue its inclinations and desires; and learn to esteem and use it but as a servant. Think what a pitiful price a little gluttonous pleasure of the throat is, for a man to sell his God and his salvation for.[416] Learn to be indifferent whether your meat be pleasing to your appetite or not; and make no great matter of it: remember still what an odious, swinish, damning sin it is, for a man's heart to be set upon his belly. "All that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts," Gal. v. 24.
Direct. II. Live faithfully to God, and upon spiritual, durable delights. And then you will fetch the measure of your eating and drinking from their tendency to that higher end.[417] There is no using any inferior thing aright, till you have first well resolved of your end, and use it as a means thereto, and mark how far it is a means.
Direct. III. See all your food as provided and given you by God, and beg it and the blessing of it at his hand, and then it will much restrain you from using it against him. He is a wretch indeed that will take his food as from his father's hand, and throw it in his face, though perhaps a petulant child would do so by a fellow-servant: he that thinketh he is most beholden to himself for his plenty, will say as the fool, Luke xii. 19, 20, "Soul, take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry, thou hast enough laid up for many years." But he that perceives it is the hand of God that reacheth it to him, will use it more reverently. It is a horrid aggravation of the gluttony of this age, that they play the hypocrites in it, and first (for custom) crave God's blessing on their meat, and then sit down and sin against him with it: such are the prayers of hypocritical sensualists. But a serious discerning of God as the giver, would teach you "whether you eat or drink to do all to his glory" from whom it comes.[418]
Direct. IV. See by faith the blood of Christ as the purchasing cause of all you have; and then sure you will bear more reverence to his blood, than to cast the fruit of it into the sink of sensuality, and to do worse than throw it upon the dunghill. What! must Christ be a sacrifice to God, and die to recover you the mercies which you had forfeited, and now will you cast them to the dogs? and please a sinful appetite with them? Did he die to purchase you provisions for your lusts, and to serve the flesh with?
Direct. V. Forget not how the first sin came into the world, even by eating the forbidden fruit. And let the slain creatures whose lives are lost for you, remember you of that sin which brought the burden on them for your sakes. And then every piece of flesh that you see, will appear to you as with this caution written upon it: O sin not as your first parents sinned by pleasing of your appetite; for this our death, and your devouring the flesh of your fellow-creatures, is the fruit of that sin, and warneth you to be temperate. Revel not to excess in your fellow-creatures' lives.
Direct. VI. Keep an obedient, tender conscience, not scrupulously perplexing yourselves about every bit you eat, (as melancholy persons do,) but checking your appetite, and telling you of God's commands, and teaching you to fear all sensual excess. It is a graceless, disobedient, senseless heart that maketh men so boldly obey their appetite; when the fear of God is not in their hearts, no wonder if they "feed" and "feast themselves without fear," Jude 12. Either they make a small matter of sin in the general, or at least of this in particular: it is usually the same persons that fear not to spend their time in idleness, sports, or vanity, and to live in worldliness or fleshly lusts, who live in gluttony to feed all this. The belly is a brute, that sticks not much upon reason: where conscience is asleep and seared, reason and Scripture do little move a sensual belly-god; and any thing will serve instead of reason to prove it lawful, and to answer all that is said against it. There is no disputing the case with a man that is asleep; especially if his guts and appetite be awake: you may almost as well bring reason and Scripture to keep a swine from over-eating, or persuade a hungry dog from a bone, as to take off a glutton from the pleasing of his throat, if he be once grown blockish, and have mastered his conscience by unbelief, or stilled it with a stupifying opiate. His taste then serveth instead of reason, and against reason; then he saith, I feel it do me good; (that is, he feeleth that it pleaseth his appetite, as a swine feeleth that his meat doth him good when he is ready to burst;) and this answereth all that can be said against it. Then he can sacrifice his time and treasure to his belly, and make a jest of the abstinence and temperance of sober men, as if it were but a needless self-afflicting, or fit only for some weak and sickly persons. If the constant fear and obedience of God do not rule the soul, the appetite will be unruled; and if a tender conscience be not porter, the throat will be common for any thing that the appetite requireth. One sight of heaven or hell, to awaken their reason and sleepy consciences, would be the best remedy to convince them of the odiousness and danger of this sin.