Meditation XIX. On Gluttony and Temperance

POINT I.

1. GLUTTONY is an inordinate appetite of eating and drinking, and we may sin by it five different ways. i. By eating meats prohibited by the Church, or by breaking fasts, either those which I am obliged to observe by special vow or by the obligation of a regular state. ii. By taking meat or drink in too great quantity, or to the danger of my corporal or spiritual health, which is hindered by it; or in drinking until I lose or trouble my judgment. iii. By procuring meats and drinks of such quality as are much more delicate and precious than my person and state require, for the sake of pampering and sensuality. iv. By eating oftener than is convenient, out of season, and upon an occasion that may do me harm, or in an unsuitable place, or contrary to the prohibition and rule of my religion. v. By eating with too great affection, relishing what I eat only for pleasure, and after an unbecoming and hasty manner, wholly absorbed in what I am doing with thoughts and words of sensuality.

2. Upon these five acts I must examine and accuse myself before Almighty God, bewailing my frailties, and saying, Colloquy.—Woe to me that do always in a manner sin even in eating and drinking, serving rather my own sensuality than my necessity, and seeking rather the delight of my flesh than the preservation of my life; so that when I pay that debt to my body I pay the tribute of sin to the devil. Have compassion, O God, on my weakness, and succour me with Thy grace, that gluttony may not drag me after it!

3. With this feeling I am to make great resolutions to mortify this vice, observing the rules of temperance in the five things above mentioned, namely, in the precept, quantity, quality, time, and manner, endeavouring to take that quantity of meat and drink which suffices, shunning the two extremes, that it be neither so much as to overload me nor so little as not to support me. And in the quality contenting myself with ordinary meats, rather coarse than delicate, avoiding all singularity, if it be not in a case of manifest necessity. In the manner, I am to aim at that which the Holy Ghost advises, not to suffer myself to be drawn by my appetite; "Be not greedy in any feasting, and pour not out thyself upon any meat;" so that when the body is eating the spirit be not consumed and swallowed up with the meat: but rather with a controlling heart, to give some food to the spirit that may moderate the covetous desires of the flesh. The consideration of the points here ensuing will much help to move me to this.

POINT II.

Secondly, I must consider the punishments of this vice, reducing them to three classes. Some proceed from gluttony itself, as from an evil tree; others God our Lord has added, and does add in this life, to discover how displeasing this vice is to Him; and others He has reserved for the other life.

1. Gluttony is a chastisement of itself, and pays in ready money with pain the delight of the sin; for it over-charges the body, takes away health, shortens the life, and hastens death. "Watching, and choler and gripes are with an intemperate man." "Who hath wo? Whose father hath wo? Who hath contentions? Who falleth into pits? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? Surely they that pass their time in wine, and study to drink off their cups." "Take heed," says Christ, "lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life." Again, it afflicts the spirit, dulls the understanding, disables for prayer and conversation with Almighty God, and makes the soul incapable of spiritual comforts, because it suffers itself to be filled with carnal pleasures; and it enfeebles the heart for great things in God's service, because he that is subjected to this enemy that is the weakest has no courage to combat others that are more strong.

2. Besides this, on gluttony Almighty God has inflicted terrible punishments. For the eating of an apple against the precept of God, Adam and Eve lost their state of innocence and were cast out of paradise. The Israelites inordinately desired to eat flesh in the desert, of whom it is said, "As yet the flesh was between their teeth, neither had that kind of meat failed: when, behold, the wrath of God being provoked against the people, struck them with an exceeding great plague. And that place was called The graves of lust: for there they buried the people that had lusted." Another time the same Israelites from eating and drinking "rose up" to idolatry, God's justice permitting that those should adore a calf who took their belly for their god; for which thirty-three thousand of them were put to the sword. And that which is most astonishing, a holy prophet, for eating in a place that God had prohibited him, was slain by a lion; and nothing excused him, neither the miracles he had done nor the obedience that he first had, nor the necessity that he suffered, nor that he had been beguiled by another who seemed of the same profession.

3. Finally, in the other life, gluttons shall suffer particular torment in their tongue, as the covetous rich man who fared very delicately came into hell to suffer such thirst, that he begged to be refreshed by "Lazarus" with "the tip of his finger" only dipped "in water," and it was not granted him. Thus shall all three suffer the hunger of dogs, raging thirst, pangs, and bitterness of eternal galls, according to the sentence pronounced against Babylon: "As much as she hath glorified herself and lived in delicacies, so much torment and sorrow give ye to her."

Colloquy.—Then what art thou doing, O my soul? Why not bewail thy gluttonies? why dost thou not amend thyself of them? Behold that temporal fulness and drunkenness shall be chastised with eternal hunger and thirst; and if, like Esau, for a vile dish of meat thou sellest the inheritance of heaven, thou shalt peradventure have no time to recover it. Consider how many have been chastised for this vice, and beware by other men's evils, lest torment light upon thee for thine own!

POINT III.

Of temperance and fasting.—Thirdly, I am to consider the great benefits and rewards that I shall receive of Almighty God, if I mortify gluttony and perfectly embrace temperance and fasting, reducing them also to three classes, opposite to the three punishments of gluttony. Some are proper to themselves, like good fruits of a good tree; others our Lord adds, to show how much this virtue pleases Him; others are rewards of heaven, with which He rewards it.

1. For, first, abstinence pays in ready money the pain which it has in the beginning; for it tempers the body—it preserves from infirmities—it preserves health—it prolongs the life—it recreates the soul, it renders it fit for prayer and receiving celestial comforts—it takes away the arms of its enemy the flesh, and subjects it to the spirit, to encourage it to undertake glorious enterprises in the service of God.

2. Besides this, Almighty God being so liberal and compassionate as He is, does not command that we should live void of some pleasures; and therefore those who abstain from bodily food He refreshes with the food of the soul, and for sensual consolations He gives them spiritual. So that they lose no consolation, but rather increase it, changing it from the flesh to the spirit. To these He communicates celestial illuminations, as He did to Daniel—gives them notable victories, as He did to His three companions against Nabuchodonosor—and exalts them to very high contemplation, as He did Moses and Elias, giving them part in His glorious transfiguration, in reward of their fasting and mortification.

3. Finally, Almighty God rewards them in heaven with a spiritual fulness, setting them with Christ at His table, that they may eat and drink in His kingdom of that food which God Himself eats. Therefore, O my soul, if thou desirest to attain to great sanctity upon earth, and to obtain great rewards in heaven, begin with temperance and fasting, in reward of which God is said to "repress vices, exalt the spirit, grant virtues, and crown with rewards."

Colloquy.—O sweet Jesus, seeing all who are on Thy side ought to "have crucified the flesh with its vices and concupiscences," grant me that I may mortify mine as Thou didst mortify Thine! By that thirst which Thou sufferedst on the cross, and by the gall and vinegar which they gave Thee to drink, grant me, I beseech Thee, a temperance so perfect that in eating and drinking I may satisfy my necessity, and not serve my delight; and a fasting so strict that, like the Ninevites, I may appease Thy wrath, satisfy for my sins, terrify the devils, give joy to the angels, and be made partaker of Thy gifts, world without end. Amen.