Ver. 1. When thou sittest to eat.] See my Common Place of Abstinence. Consider diligently what is before thee.] And “feed with fear,” (Jude 12) lest thou lose by thy luxury that praise and preferment that thou hadst gotten by thine industry. (Proverbs 22:9) ‘Non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri.’
Ver. 2. And put a knife to thy throat.] Put into thy throat, as Aben Ezra reads it, rather than offend by inordinate appetite. Some read it thus: For thou puttest a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Thou shortenest thy life, and diggest, as it were, thine own grave with thine own teeth. Meat kills as many as the musket; the board as the sword. Tenuis mensa sanitatis mater: but much meat, much malady. Chrysost.
Ver. 3. Be not desirous of his dainties.] It is a shame for a saint to be a slave to his palate. Isaac loved venison too, too well; the disciples are cautioned by Christ, (Luke 21:34) who well enough knew where they were weakest. For they are deceitful meat.] There is a hook under that bait; it may prove as dangerous as Jonathan’s honey, of which he had no sooner tasted but his head was forfeited. There is a deceitfulness in sin, (Hebrews 3:13) a lie in vanity, (Jonah 2:8) transit voluptas, manet dolor—dolor est etiam ipsa voluptas.
Ver. 4. Labour not to be rich.] The courtier is still at his lesson. Many have gotten into princes’ palaces, into places of profit, fat offices, mind nothing more than the feathering of their own nests, raising of their own houses, filling of their own coffers. Such were Shebna, Haman, Sejanus, of whom Tacitus makes this report: Palam compositus pudor, intus summa adipiscendi libido, that he made show of modesty, but was extremely covetous; insomuch, saith Seneca, that he thought all to be lost that he got not for himself. How much better Joseph, Nehemiah, Daniel, &c., who, being wholly for the public, as they had nothing to lose, so they had as little to get, but were above all price or sale. Cease from thine own wisdom.] Cast away that carnal policy that would prompt thee to get rem, rem, quocunque modo rem, wealth of any fashion. This wisdom is by St James fitly styled “earthly, sensual, devilish.” “Earthly,” managing the lusts of the eye to the ends of gain; “sensual,” managing the lusts of the eye to the ends of pleasure; and “devilish,” managing the pride of life unto ends of power (James 3:15 1Jo 2:14,15 } Quicquid non acquiritur damnum est. -Sen.
Ver. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes, &c.] Heb., Wilt thou cause thine eyes to flee after? &c. Wilt thou flee a fool’s pitch, and go hawking after that which cannot be had? or, if had, will not pay for the pains—countervail the cost? Wilt thou cast a leering look after such vanities? Upon that which is not.] That hath no solid subsistence, though the foolish world call it substance. “The fashion of this world passeth away.” (1 Corinthians 7:31) The Greek word there used, οχημα, intimateth that there is nothing of any firmness or solid consistence in the creature. Heaven only hath a foundation. (Hebrews 11:10) Earth hath none, but is “hanged upon nothing,” as Job speaketh. “Ye rejoice in a thing of nought,” saith the prophet to them that “drank wine in bowls,” &c. (Amos 6:6,13) For riches certainly make themselves wings.] As the heathens feigned of their god Pluto. Under these wings let the master hide himself, as Isaiah 28:15; yet with those wings will they fly away, without once taking leave, leaving nothing but the print of talons in his heart to torment him. Riches, saith one, were never true to those that trusted them. To fly from us they make themselves great eagles’ wings; to fly to us, or after us, Ne passerinas quidem, not so much as old sparrows’ wings. Temporals, saith another, are as transitory as a hasty headlong torrent—a shadow, a ship, a bird, an arrow, a post that passeth by; or if you can name anything of swifter wing or sooner gone. Augustine. Mr Bolton.
Ver. 6. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye.] That is, of a miserly muckworm, that wisheth thee choked for so doing, even then when he maketh greatest show of hospitality and humanity.
Ver. 7. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.] Mens cuiusque is est quisque: -The man is as his mind is; or as he thinketh in his heart, so he speaketh. He cannot so dissemble, but that soon he blurts out some word, or shows some sign of his sordid disposition. Some read it thus: For as he grudgeth his own soul, so he will say unto thee, Eat, drink, &c. As he starves his own genius, and cannot afford himself a good meal’s meat, so be grudgeth at his guests whom yet he bids welcome. Christ doth not so. (Song of Solomon 5:1)
Ver. 8. The morsel which thou hast eaten.] That is, that which thou hast eaten, shall be so ill-sauced that thou shalt wish it up again, and thou shalt repent thee of thy compliments, or of whatsoever good speech thou hast used at table; which was the salt wherewith our Saviour used to sprinkle the dishes wherever he dined.