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. [1]
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. [2] 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." [3] 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. [4] And that which is most astonishing, a holy prophet, for eating in a place that God had prohibited him, was slain by a lion; [5] 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, 14 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," [6]
