The first Pointe.

GLoutonye is a disordinate appetite of eating, * & drinking, and heerein wee may sinne fiue manner of wayes: First, in eating meates prohibi∣ted by the churche, or by breaking of fastes, either those which I am obliged to obserue by a speci∣all vowe: or by the obligation of a regular estate. Secondly, taking meate, or drinke, * in ouer greate danger of my corporall healthe, or of my spiritu∣all, which is heereby hindred; or in drinking vntill I loose, or trouble my Iudgement. Thirdly, procu∣ring meates, and drinkes of such quallitye, as are much more delicate, and precious, then my per∣son, and state requireth, onely for pampering, and sensuallitye. Fourthly, eating oftener then is conuenient, out of season, and vpon an occasion that may doe mee harme, or in a place not conuenient, or contrarie to the prohibition, and rule of my reli∣gion. Fifthly, in eating with ouer greate affection, sauouring what I eate onely for pleasure, and after an immodest, and hastye fashion, wholely ouer∣whelmed in what I am doing with thoughtes, and wordes of sensuallitye.

Vpon these fiue actes, I am to examine myselfe, & to accuse myselfe before God, bewailing my imbe∣cillities, & sayng: vvoe to mee, * that doe allvvaies in a manner sinne, euen in eating, & drinking, seruing ra∣ther my ovvne sensuallitye, then my necessitye: & seeking rather the delight of my fleshe, then the conseruation of my life; so that vvhen I pay that debt to my bodye, I pay the tribute of sinne to the diuell. Haue compassion, o Page  240God, of my VVeakenesse and succour mee vvith thy grace that Gluttonye may not dragge mee after her. VVith this Vnderstanding, I am to make greate Resolutions to mortifye this Vice, * obseruing the Rules of Tempe∣rance in the fiue things aboue mentioned, to witte, in the Precept, Quantitye, Quallitye, Tyme, and Maner, endeuouring to take of meate, and drinke a competent Quantitye flying the two extreames that it bee neither so much as to ouerlod mee, * nor so litle, as not to sustaine mee. And in the Quallitie, conten∣ting my selfe with ordinary meates, rather grosse then delicate, auoyding all Singularitye if it bee not in a case of manifest necessitye. But in the manner. I am to endeuour that which the holy Ghost instru∣cteth. Not to suffer myselfe to bee dragged by my Appetite; so that when the Bodye is eating, the Spi∣rite bee eaten, and swallowed with the meate: But rather with an Imperious Hearte to giue some foode to the Spirite, that may moderate the couetous De∣sirs of the Fleshe. The considerations of the Pointes here ensuing shall much helpe to mooue mee here∣vnto.

The seconde Pointe.

SEcondly; I am to consider the Punishements of this Vice reducing them to three Rankes. Some that procede from Gluttonye it selfe, like an euill Tree. Others that God our Lord hath added, and doth adde in this life to discouer how vnpleasing this Vice is vnto him. And others that hee hath re∣serued for the other life. First Gluttonie is a chasti∣zement of it selfe, and payeth in readie money with paine the delight of the sinne: for it ouer chargeth the Bodye, taketh away Health, shortneh the life, & Hasteneth Deathe. Item. it afflicteth the Spirit, dul∣leth the Vnderstanding, * disableth for praier, and conuersation with God, and maketh Incapable of Page  241spirituall comfortes, for that it suffereth itselfe to bee fiilled with carnall pleasures: and it cowardizeth the hearte for greate matters in gods seruice, * because hee that is subiected to this enemy that is the weakest, hath no courage to combatte against others that are more strong.

Besides this for Gluttonye God hath inflicted ter∣rible punishements. For the eating of an apple a∣gainst the precept of God, Adam and Eua, * lost their estate of innocencye, and were cast out of paradise. The Israelites that disordinately desired to eate fles. he in the deserte, * while they had (saiethe Dauid) the morsell in their mouthe, the wrathe of God came vpon them, and the place of their fullnesse was called the sepulchre of their gluttonye; Another time the same Israelites from eating, and drinking rose vp to idolatrye, gods iustice permitting, that those should adore a calfe, that tooke their belly for their God. For the which thirty three thousand of them were put to the sworde. And that which is most admirable, a holy Prophet, * for eating in a place that God had prohibited him, was slaine by a Lyon: and nothing might excuse him, neither the miracles that hee had donne, nor the obedience that hee first had, nor the necessitye that hee suffered, nor that hee had beene beguiled by another that seemed of the same profession.

Finally, in the other life, * the gluttons shall suffer particular torment in their tongue, as the Couetous riche man who fared very delicately, came in Hell to suffer such thirst, that hee begged to bee refreshed by Lazarus with the tippe of his finger onely dip∣ped in water, and it would not bee graunted him. So that all there, shall suffer dogges hunger, ra∣ging thirst, pangs, and bitternesses of eternall galls according to the sentence pronunced against Baby∣lon; As much as shee hath glorified her selfe, and hath Page  242ben in delicacies, * so much giue her torment, and mour∣ning. Then vvhat doest thou, o my soule? vvhy doest thou not bevvaile thy Gluttonyes? vvhy doest thou not amend thee of them? Beholde that temporall fullnesse, & drunkennesse shall bee chastized vvith eternall hun∣ger, and thirst. And if like Esau for a vile dishe of meate thou sellest the inheritance of heauen, * thou shallt per∣aduenture haue no time to recouer it. Consider hovv many haue beene chastized for this vice, and beevvare by other mens harmes, least torment light vpon thee for thine ovvne.

The third Pointe.

Thirdly, * I am to consider the greate Benefits, and Rewardes that I shal receaue of God, if I mortifie Gluttonye, and perfectly embrace Temperance and fasting, reducing them to other three rankes, oppo∣site to the three punishments of Gluttonie. Some are proper to them selues, like good fruites of a good tree: others our Lord addeth, to showe how much this vertue doth please him: others are rewardes of heauen wherewith hee rewardeth it. For first absti∣nence payeth in readie money the paine which it hath in the beginning: for it easeth the bodie, it pre∣serueth from infirmities, it conserueth the healthe, it inlargeth the life, it recreateth the soule, it ableth it for praier and for receiuing celestiall comforts, it taketh away the Armes of his enemy the fleshe, and subiecteth it to the spirit, to incourage it to vnder∣take glorious enterprises in the seruice of God.

Besides this, * God beeing so liberall, and compas∣sionate as he is, consenteth not that wee should liue voyde of some pleasures. And therefore those whoe abstaine from bodily foode, hee recreateth with the foode of the soule; and for sensuall Conso∣lations, hee giueth them spirituall. So that they loose no consolation, but better it, transpor∣ting Page  243it from the fleshe to the spirit. To these hee communicateth celestiall illuminations, like as to Daniel: and giueth them notable victories, like as to his three companions against Nabuchodono∣sor: and exalteth them to very high contempla∣tion, as hee did Moyses; and Helias, * giuing them parte of his glorious Transfiguration in rewarde of their fasting and mortification.

3 Finally God rewardeth them in heauen with a spirituall fulnesse, seating them with Christe at his table, that they may eate and drinke in his kingdo∣me of that foode which God himselfe eateth. Ther∣fore o my soule, if thou desirest to attaine to gre∣ate sanctitye vpon earthe, and to obtaine greate re∣wardes in heauen, begin with temperance and fa∣sting: for the which God represseth vices, * exalteth the spirit, graunteth vertues, and crowneth with, Re∣wardes. O svveete IESVS, seeing all that are of thy partie ought to crucifie the fleshe vvith the vices, and desires therof, graunt mee that I may mortifie mine, as thou didst mortyfy thine. By that thirst vvhich thou suf∣fredst on the Crosse, and by the Gall and vinegar vvhich they gaue thee to drinke, graunt mee, I besee∣che thee a temperance so perfect, that in eating, and drincking I may satisfie my necessitie, and not serue my delight: and a fasting so strict, that like the Niniuites I may appease thy vvrathe, * satisfie for my sinnes, terrifie the diuells, giue ioye to the An∣gells, and bee made partaker of thy giftes, vvorlde vvithout ende Amen.