The sin of gluttony is the sin of over-eating, of being too much given to full meals: now this may be difficult in some instances to state exactly; yet 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. For if there be such a sin, as the sin of over-eating, it must surely then be committed, when we eat too much to attend upon the service of the church.

Men may fancy that they are only chargeable with gluttony, who eat till they surfeit their bodies; they may think those only guilty of drunkenness, who drink till they have lost their senses: but there is a much surer rule to go by, given them by the Spirit of God; Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. All, therefore, in eating and drinking, that is not within the bounds of the glory of God, is offered to something that is not the glory of God; it is offered to the corruption and sensuality of our natures; it is the sin of intemperance, and has the sin of indevotion added to it, when it is indulged at a time that keeps us from the public worship of God.

Let such people examine their own hearts, and see what opinion they have of divine service. Can they look upon it as doing God's will on earth as it is done in heaven? Can they look upon it as entering into the presence of God, as approaching the throne of grace? Can they esteem it to be the nourishment and support of their souls, a necessary means of securing the divine assistance, as a most acceptable way of pleasing God, and securing their eternal happiness, who are not afraid to eat and drink till they are indisposed, and unwilling to attend at it? If they still have just notions of the nature of divine service, let them think of these words of our blessed Saviour, If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

But if they look upon it as of less concern than a full meal, if they think that there is no occasion for exactness in it, it is time they were told, that they have not the love of God abiding in them.

For if they did really hunger and thirst after rigteousness, which is the true love of God, they would rejoice at every opportunity of entering farther into his favour; they would go to the house of God, the abode of his presence, with more joy than to any other place, and think those days the most happy that were most devoted to the cares and joys of a life with God to all eternity.

They would cut off a right hand, or pluck out a right eye, rather than be hindered from those helps which are to raise their hope, enliven their faith, and form their souls to a delight and joy in God.

If they want this zeal towards God, they want a zeal, which is the life and spirit of a Christian, which distinguishes a disciple of Christ from those who live without God in the world.

I have spoke the more home to this point, because it is so allowed a practice, which as unavoidably destroys the true spirit and temper of religion, as any things that are notoriously sinful.

Indeed a constant course of full feeding is the death of the soul, and every day, that is a day of such happiness, is a day lost to religion.

When a man has rejoiced himself with full eating and drinking, he is like any other animal, disposed only to play or idleness. He has no more feeling of sin than he has of hunger, can no more perceive himself to be a miserable fallen creature, than he can perceive himself to be a beggar, and consequently is no more affected with any forms of confession, or repentance, than if he was, every day, to confess that he was a starving beggar.

For this course of self-enjoyment is as contrary to humility, contrition, and a true sense of sin, as it is contrary to a state of beggary and want; and conseH

quently a man in such happiness, can no more sincerely deplore the weight of sin, than he can feel himself in the misery of poverty.

If, therefore, religion is to be the state and temper of our minds; if it is to be the ruling taste and relish of our souls; if its goods and evils are to govern our actions, it is as necessary to renounce sensuality, and mortify our bodies, as it is necessary to resist temptations. For abstinence, or self-denial, is not only a good, advisable, and reasonable practice, but is a constant, necessary, and universal duty, and enters farther into the cure of our souls than any other practice. It is as necessary for a Christian, that would get rid of the disorders of his nature, and lessen the weight of sin, as it is necessary for a man in a dropsy to abstain from drink, or a man in a fever to refrain from such things as inflame his blood.

Indeed this self-denial is the chief and most general exercise of the Christian life, and is the very form and substance of every virtue; so far as we deny our natural tempers, so far we seem to be advanced in virtue.

We are so far humble, as we deny ourselves in the instances of pride; so far heavenly-minded, as we deny our earthly inclinations; so far charitable, as we deny our tempers of self-love and envy; and so, in every virtue, it seems to have its chief foundation in the denial of some corrupt temper of our natures.

I know some people object that fasting is not an universal duty, that it is rather like some particular medicine or remedy, that is only necessary for some -particular cases, and particular constitutions.

To this may be answered, that if by fasting is meant an entire abstinence from all food, for such or such a certain space of time; that fasting, iu that sense, is not an universal and constant duty. But then it ought to be observed, that this is no

more, the nature of fasting than any particular form of confession, of such or such a length, is the precise nature of repentance.

For as repentance does not consist in any stated fixed degrees of sorrow and pain for sin, which is to be the common repentance for all men, in all states, and at all times; but is such an exercise of grief and contrition, as is suited to every one's particular state so fasting is not any fixed degree of abstinence from all food, which is to be the common measure of fasting to all men, in all states, and at all times; but such is an exercise, abstinence, and self-denial, as is proper to every one's particular state.

Now if we understand fasting in this sense, in which it ought to be understood, as an abstinence from such food, and such pleasures and degrees of feeding, as are proper in every state of life to destroy sensuality, lessen the corruption of our natures, and make us relish and taste spiritual enjoyments; in this sense, fasting is as constant and universal a duty as repentance.

For as repentance is an universal duty, because the reason of it is common to all men; so this fasting is necessary to all men, because sensuality, fleshly lusts, and the corruption of bodily tempers, is the universal corruption of all men.

It is sometimes also objected, that fasting cannot be an universal duty, because some people's constitutions will not suffer them to eat enough for their health.

To this it may be answered, that some people may be so infirm, that they cannot attend at the public worship of God; yet surely public worship is an universal duty, though some people's constitutions may make them incapable of going to it.

Secondly; This objection is only of weight against fasting, as it signifies an entire abstinence from all food for a certain space of time, but is of

no force against such an abstinence, as I have shown to be the common duty of all Christians.

Thirdly; Persons of weak and infirm constitutions, have often as much necessity of self-denial as others of the most healthful bodies; for their very state, it may be, has taught them indulgence; by being accustomed to so much care of themselves, they become no better than perpetual nurses of themselves, and consequently are too much devoted to that which is not the one thing needful.

Weakly people may as well be epicures, and have the same sensuality to conquer, as other people, and consequently have the same necessity of their degree of abstinence and denial that others have.

Let such people have recourse to the example of Timothy, who was an apostolical bishop. His history teaches us, that he was weakly, and subject to frequent infirmities; who notwithstanding he may be supposed to have enjoyed the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, yet in this state of divine greatness, and bodily weakness, he wanted the authority and advice of an apostle, to persuade him to drink any thing besides water. This we are sufficiently taught by the apostle's giving this advice in his epistle to him, drink no longer water; that is, nothing but water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities.

Lastly; The world abounds with people, who are weakly and tender merely by their indulgences; they have bad nerves, low spirits, and frequent indispositions, through irregularity, idleness, and indulgence.

Now these people, it is true, are not fit for fasting, and perhaps, if they were to deal faithfully with themselves, they would find, that they are as unfit for most other exercises of religion, and consequently if their condition might be pleaded as an objection against the necessity of fasting, it might