Salomons diuine arts, of 1. Ethickes, 2. Politickes, 3. Oeconomicks that is; the gouernment of 1. Behauiour, 2. Common-vvealth, 3. Familie. Drawne into method, out of his Prouerbs & Ecclesiastes. With an open and plaine paraphrase, vpon the Song of songs. By Ioseph Hall.

§. 1.

• Temperance in diet,
• excesse: how dangerous to
  • Bodie,
  • Soule,
  • Estate.

THE temperate in dyet, is hee that refrayneth his appetite, that looks not on the wine when it is red, that

puts his knife to his throat, when hee sits with a Ruler; that when he findes honie, eates but that vvhich is sufficient for him; least hee should be ouer-full: Jt is true, that a man eateth, and drinketh, and seeth the commoditie of all his labour; this is the gifte of God: yea, this I haue seene good, that it is comely to eate and to drinke, and to take pleasure in all his la∣bour vvherein hee trauelleth vnder the Sunne, the vvhole number of the dayes of his life vvhich GOD giueth him; for this is his portion; God allowes vs to eate our bread vvith ioy; and drink our wine with a cheer∣full heart, and there is nothing

better then this, yea there is no profite but this: But not that a man should bee giuen to his appetite; that hee should seeke in his heart to drawe his flesh to vvine; or that vvhatsoeuer his eyes desire hee should not with∣holde it from them: Such a man vvhen hee is full, despiseth an hony-comb; whereas to the hungrie, euery bitter thing is sweet; and in his excesse is outra∣geous: One of the three things, yea foure, for which the earth is mo∣ued, and cannot sustaine it self, is a foole vvhen hee is filled vvith meate. Neither doth this prosper, with himselfe. For his bodie; The satietie of the rich, vvill not suffer him to sleepe:

To whome is woe? to whome is sorrow? to whom is murmuring? to whom are woundes without cause? and to whō is the rednesse of the eyes? Euen to them that tarry long at the wine; to them that goe and seeke mixt wine: For his soule; Looke not on the wine when it is red, and showeth his colour in the cuppe, or go∣eth downe pleasauntly. In the ende thereof, it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cocka∣trice: Thine eyes shall looke vp∣on the strange woman, and thy lippes shall speake lewd things: And thou shalt bee as one that sleepeth in the midst of the sea, and as hee that sleepeth in the top of the mast: They haue stri∣ken

mee (shalt thou say) but I was not sicke: they haue beaten mee, but I knewe not vvhen I a∣wooke; therefore will I seeke it yet still: For his estate, He is like a Citie which is broken downe, and without walles: Keepe not companie therefore vvith drun∣kards, nor with gluttons; for the glutton and drunkard shall bee poore, and the sleeper shall bee cloathed with ragges; and in all these, Wine is a mocker, & strong drinke is raging, and vvhosoe∣uer is deceiued thereby is not vvise.

Notes

• Pr. 25.28
• Pr. 23.31
• Pr. 23.2
• Pr. 23.1.
• Pr. 25.16
• Ec. 3.13.
• Ec. 5.17
• Ec. 9.7
• Ec. 3.22
• Ec. 2.24.
• Pr. 23.2
• Ec. 2.3.
• Ec. 2.10
• Pr. 27.7
• Pr. 30.21
• Pr. 30.22
• Ec. 5.11
• Pr. 23.29
• Pr. 23.30▪
• Pr. 23.31.
• Pr. 23.32.
• Pr. 23.33.
• Pr▪ 23.34.
• Pr. 23.35
• Pr. 25.28
• Pr. 23.20
• Pr. 20.1