A plaine exposition vpon the whole thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth chapters of the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes Wherein the text is diligently and methodically resolued, the sense giuen, and many doctrines thence gathered, are by liuely vses applied for the benefit of Gods children. Performed with much varietie, and conuenient breuitie, by Elnathan Parr Bachelor in Diuinity, and preacher of Gods word. To which is prefixed an alphabeticall table, containing the chiefe points and doctrines handled in the booke.

VERSE 14. — And make not prouision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

THe exhortation to put on Christ, in the former part of the verse, is here amplified from the Effect of such put∣ting on; which is that we doate not on the things of this life; and that our care for worldly things abates: He that putteth on Christ is rid of a great deale of care and thought for the flesh.

This Effect is brought in by an Occupation: of which after the exposition of the words.

These words containe two parts: a Prohibition, Make not prouision for the flesh: and a Limitation, to fulfill the lusts there∣of: which limitation is added, because that which is forbid∣den is not simply euill.

Flesh: This word is of diuers significations; here it ei∣ther signifies our corrupt nature, or the body.

If you take it for nature corrupt; then the second part is an exposition of the first.

But it is best to take it for the body, as the very words must needs import.

Make not prouision: that is, with care, as it was sormerly translated, which must also be here vnderstood, according, to that of our Sauiour, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eate, &c.

To fulfill the lusts. To fulfill, is added, to fill the sense.

Lusts: Lust or concupiscence, is a naturall faculty of the soule, desiring obiects conuenient to nature, and abhorring the contrary.

That which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is in insensible things, in sensible and rea∣sonable creatures is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

This concupiscence or lust, in entire and pure nature was e∣uery way ordinate.

In corrupt nature, the faculty it selfe, as it is naturall, is to be reckoned among naturall good things put into vs by God; and the motions of it vnto things naturall, as desiring of meat drink, sleepe, apparell, &c. are indifferent: but by prauity ad∣herent they are euill three waies.

1 In regard of the obiect, when that is desired and coue∣ted which is forbidden; as in the tenth commandement that which is our neighbours.

2 In regard of the measure, as when we immoderately de∣sire that which is lawfull to bee desired: when there is no measure of our study for riches, meat and drinke, house and land, &c. as indeed it is very hard to bound our concupiscence in such things.

3 In regard of the end, when wee desire such things, to wrong ends, and not to the glory of God. in the preseruation of nature, for the seruice of God and of our neighbour, and the furthering of our owne saluation.

This exorbitant and inordinate concupiscence or lust is vn∣derstood in this place.

The meaning then is, Prouide not so for the body, that thereby the lusts thereof should be fulfilled and satisfied.

This is brought in by way of preuenting an Obiection.

Some might say, from the prohibition of drunkennesse, and wantonnesse, &c. What? must we cast away the care of bodies? is nothing to be granted to our fragility and infirmity? may we not eate and drinke, and be merry?

Paul answereth: you may make prouision for the body, but with limitation, that you fulfill not the lusts of the body, which will easily vpon a small occasion grow vnruly; as wee may discerne in our selues, how soone, in the putting on of a new garment, &c. Corruption will discouer it selfe.

There ought to be a care had of health, and state; of whol∣some meat, competent medicines, comely apparell; but ex∣cesse is to be taken heed of.

Eate and drinke, but not to enflame thy lusts: A little is enough for nature, but nothing for our lusts.

Make not prouision for the body. If Paul had stayed here, he had writ no good diuinity: therefore he addeth, to fulfill the lusts thereof; warning vs to keep downe concupiscence, and not to set her on cockhorse, as they say.

The body is not so to bee tended and prouided for that the lusts thereof should be fulfilled, or strengthned. Mat. 6.25. [Doctr.] Take no thought for your life, what you shall eate, &c. We must not haue an immoderate care for necessaries, much lesse for superfluities, to the fulfilling of our lusts, Galathians 5.13. Ʋse not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, Saint Paul there spake of Legall ce∣remonies, and it is true, in all matters of like nature, God hath giuen vs liberty to eate and drinke, &c. this liberty is not to bee vsed, to nourish lust. 1 Peter 2.11. As Pil∣grimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule. Pilgrimes comber not themselues with vnnecessary things.

Here wee may discerne whether wee haue put on Christ or no: [Ʋse 1] namely if wee prouide not for the body so as to fulfill our lusts: this is to follow Christs example.

Christ did eate and drinke, but his fare was meane, and moderate; after forty dayes fast, hee being hungry, would not turne stones into bread, the most ordinary refection, to

retaine nature, but stayed for an ordinary prouision.

When he was weary how did he prouide for his body? did he take vp his Inne, call for dainty cheere, and a soft bed? no; but rested himselfe vpon a Well, and asked a little water, though there was a good towne hard by.

For his sleepe: his body had need of it as well as ours: and besides, his nature was most pure, and without the danger of inordinate lusting: and yet he would not follow innocent nature herein, but broke himself of his sleep, to spend whole nights in prayer to his Father. It may be thou wilt sleepe at a Sermon ordinarily and at prayer. This is not to be like Christ to put him on.

It is not vnlawfull to prouide for the body: [Ʋse 2] Religion re∣quireth not that a man should not giue nature her due; or cleere his forehead as they say, and be merry; in which morosi∣ties hypocrites faine perfection. Yea to neglect the body is a sinne; if it bee not prouided for and nourished, how shall it be a fit instrument of the soule for good? To deny food and raiment conuenient to the necessity of nature, to our callings and estate, is ostentation and rigidity, rather then true vertue. Our Sauiour furnished the feast, with excellent and neate wine, which God created to make the heart of man glad: and S. Paul reproues such neglecting of the body. Coloss. 2.23.

Saint Augustine writing to Proba a rich Widow, who had a great retinue, and prouision for her body, and for her table sutable; willeth her not to cease to be so attended, and serued as was fit for her estate and place; but that shee should temper and moderate her selfe in the vse of them, and to seeke nothing therein, but integram valetudinem, quae non con∣temnenda propter necessarios vsus huius vitae, good health which is not to be contemned, for the necessary vses of this life; and he alledgeth this place.

Also hee alledgeth Pauls aduice to Timothy, 1 Tim. 5.23. Drinke no longer water but vse a little wine: It was so that Ti∣mothy to giue an example of sobriety to the riotous and dis∣solute Ephesians ouer whom hee was Bishop; did so take downe his body with vnreasonable abstinence from wine, and continuall drinking of water; that Paul was faine to

write to him, and charge him for his stomacke sake and often infirmities, to drinke wine. For such abstaining Saint Au∣gustine giueth the holy Bishop this censure, that he was nimi∣us corporis castigator; too great a chastiser of his body; for his very studying and contemplation, with his continuall prea∣ching, were sufficient to weaken his body, though hee had not vsed such abstinence; and for this is wine necessary for Timothy, for the preseruation of his health.

Philosophers affirme that there is but one soule in man, which is both vegetatiue, senfitiue, and rationall, which toge∣ther intendeth to vegetation, sensation, and vnderstanding: when therefore the soule is wholly busie in the braine about contemplation, it must needs follow that shee cannot attend in the stomacke at the same time to concoction; and so the sto∣mack being destitute of conuenient heate and spirit and the influence of the soule, must needs abound with crudities: and for this cause Physitians giue this rule, to be merry at meate, that through such remission of study, the soule may attend vnto necessary nutrition; and hence also it commeth ordina∣rily, that great students haue weake stomacks. Hee therefore who is weary with labour or study, the spirits languishing thereby, may with a good conscience drinke wine, and vse o∣ther comforts of Nature, especially if he beleeue and repent; for God hath created such good things principally for such. That therefore which Saint Bernard saith of Timothy, we may say of euery Saint: Giue mee a Bishop or Preacher like to Timothy, or a holy man like him, and hee shall eate gold, and drinke Ypocras.

Though we may serue the necessitie of the body, [Ʋse 3] yet wee may not the lusts: Deus prudenter vult sibi seruiri; God will haue vs prudent in seruing him: nor by nimity of fasting, nor of feeding, so to oppresse the body, that we must alwayes haue a Physitian at our elbow.

We must doe wisely: The body is to bee serued, not the Concupiscence. This is difficult: if you neglect the body, you weaken it to the exercises of godlinesse; if you cherish it, you maintaine your enemy, which is lust.

The body is a garment, the lusts are Moaths: kill the Moaths, and saue the garment.

The body is a Castle, the lusts an enemy or rebell within the castle: it were easie to blow vp castle and rebell and all: but thou hast no authority to raze the castle; thou must saue the Castle, and destroy the Rebell.

They are to be reproued, which either so nourish the body that they withall maintaine their lusts; or so extinguish the prouocations to sinne, that withall they destroy the body.

Be content with that which is sufficient, and vnder a pre∣tence of necessity runne not to excesse.

As he is a foole which will haue no fire in his house, be∣cause his neighbours house was consumed with fire; so is he a foole, who because fire is necessary, will make so great a fire, as which may burne downe his house.

Too much ballast, or too little, are alike hurtfull to a ship; so too much or too little prouender for thy beast: too much or too little straining of the string of thy instrument.

There is vse of Hagar the bondmaid; but cocker her a little, and she will grow insolent toward her dame Sara.

Ama tanquam osurus; loue thy body, but so, that if need require, thou canst hate it: for the compassion of nature, it is to be loued, but for the restraining of vice, it is to be hated: keepe it from the fire, and yet in some cases yeeld it to bee burnt in the fire.

Be not thy bodies slave. Ʋiuendum non propter corpus, sed tanquam non sine corpore: We must liue, not for the body, but as not without the body.

Dauid is a notable example herein; hee longs for water which the Philistines had in their possession; His Worthies breake through and fetch him some of it; when he had it, he would not please his lusts, but poures it out as an offering to God. See how he curbed his lusts: The three Worthies did a great exploit, but Dauid a greater in conquering his concupiscence.

Concupiscence is not fulfilled without a great deale of care in prouiding here, [Vse 4] and a great deale of torment hereafter.

Esau is weary in following his pleasure, and to satisfie his lust with red pottage, he sells the richest thing in the world, euen his birth-right.

Dost thou lust after daintie faire? It is not gotten without great charge, nor made readie without great labour, nor de∣uoured without great discommoditie.

But if Christ be thy meat, hee refresheth without satietie, filleth without loathing, costs thee no money, breeds no dis∣eases, but healeth thy infirmities.

Doest thou desire gorgeous apparell? It costeth thee deare, it requireth much care in the wearing, and occasioneth much danger; but if thou put on Christ, it costeth thee not deare: great care indeed must be in the wearing, but then it dischargeth vs of all other vnnecessary cares, and it so becom∣meth vs, and setteth vs forth, that God himselfe taketh pleasure in vs.

It requireth labour and eare to serue our lusts, and after∣wards commeth damnation: but though it require care to serue God, yet afterwards it bringeth euerlasting life.

Most men are ouer carefull for their bodies, [Ʋse 5] and carelesse for their soules: Nimia corporis cura, nimia animae incuria: where there is so much studie for daintie fare, and gay appa∣rell, for house and land, &c. there is little study and care for grace, and a better life; and so on the contrary.

When Peter saw the heauenly sights in the Mount at Christs transfiguration, hee forgot his nets; so they which set their mind too much vpon their nets, forget the heauenly things in the mountaine.

Abate the care for thy body, and encrease thy care for thy soule. Doe here as thou dost in a paire of skales: If the bodie weigh downe thy soule; take from the body, and adde to the soule, and then shall it come to passe, that thy soule shall lift vp thy body to heauen, otherwise, thy body will sinke thy soule to hell.

God hath committed to our keeping, a body and a soule; the soule as a sonne, to bee delicately brought vp, to bee fed with the daintiest, and to be clothed with the richest: the

body as a slaue, to be brought vp to labour, and to bee fed with bread and water, to be chastised also, and kept vnder: but wee contrarily cocker the slaue till he rebell; and make the sonne a slaue.

But let our bodies serue, lest our concupiscence grow strong to our condemnation, and whatsoeuer befall the bo∣die, let vs take care for saluation of our soules.

Notes

• Mat. 6.25.
• Iohn 4.6, 7.
• Luke 6.12.
• Ioh. 2 10. Psal. 104.13.
• Aug. Probae. ep. 121.
• Serm. 30. in Cant.
• An brosius.
• Seneca.
• 2 Sam. 23.13.14.15.16.