fides, no man is obliged to do himself a mischief, to do another no kindness. Another pretends he is drawn by his business or way of life, to taverns and places of entertainment. But a man must never have been drunk, nor ever seen another drunk, to imagine that strong liquor will help him in driving bargains. On the contrary, every body knows, that one is never fo likely to be imposed on as when he is in liquor. Nor is the pretence of drinking to drive away care, to pafs the time, or to cheer the fpirits, more worthy of a rational creature. If, by the force of ftrong liquor, a man's cares may be mechanically banished, and his confcience lulled afleep for a time; he can only expect them to break loose upon him afterwards with the greater fury. He who artificially raises his spirits by drinking, will find them fink and flag in proportion. And then they must be raised again; and fo on, till at last he has no fpirits to raise. For understanding, and fortune, and virtue, and health, all fall before this dreadful deftroyer. As for drinking to pass the time, inftead of an excufe, it is an aggravation. It is criminal enough to wafte expence and health, without lavishing precious times befides.

Nor is the pretence of being odious among one's neighbours, and being looked upon as a precise fellow, for living temperately, any better than the others. Alas! we are not hereafter to ftand or fall by the opinion of our neighbours. Befides, we ourselves in many cafes fhew a neglect of the opinion of mankind; and do not cross our inclinations to gain it. And if in one inftance, why not in another? We may be fure of the favourable opinion of the fober part of our acquaintance by keeping on the right fide; the approbation of one of whom is preferable to that of a thousand drunkards.

Of all kinds of intemperance, the modern times have produced one of the most fatal and unheard of, which like a plague over-runs and lays wafte both town and country, sweeping the lower part of the people, who indulge in it, by thousands to the grave. The unhappy invention I mean, and which feems by its mifchievous effects to claim S tan himself for its author, is the drinking of fermented fpirituous liquors. This is no place for

for setting forth the deftructive effects of that most fhocking fpecies of debauchery. That has been the fubject of a parliamentary inquiry. And it is to be hoped, that the accounts laid before that auguft body, which were tragical enough to melt a heart of rock, will be the cause of producing an effectual remedy for that ruinous national evil.

The best human means I know of, for conquering a habit of drinking, are to avoid temptation, to accuftom one's felf by degrees to leffen the quantity, and lower the ftrength of the liquor by a more and more copious dilution with water.

The natural defire of the two fexes was placed in us for the fupport of the fpecies. It is not therefore to be eradicated; but only brought under proper regulations, fo as the end may the best be answered. That the union of one man and one woman for life, was the original defign, is evident from the near equality between the numbers of the two fexes. For one man therefore to break loose upon the other fex, and appropriate to himself a plurality, is evidently against the order of nature, and inconfiftent with the good of fociety, in which every individual is to enjoy all his natural rights and privileges, and all monopolies are unjuft. That the marriage engagement ought to be facred and indiffoluble but by death, is plain from confidering the various bad effects of its being precarious, as alienating the affections of the two parties for one another, and for their common children, and thereby defeating one main end of their coming together, viz. to be mutual helps and fupports to one another under the various diftreffes of life; encouraging inconftancy and an endless defire of variety; and expofing one of the fexes to the unhappinefs of a flavish dependence. That all commerce of the fexes, where a due care is not had for the off-spring, is vicious, is evident from confidering, that thereby the very defign of nature is fruftrated. That invading the bed of our neighbour is highly injurious, is plain, because it is a breach of the moft folemn engagements, and moft facred vows, without which there could be no marriage. That all commerce of the fexes, except in

lawful

lawful marriage, is unjuftifiable, is certain, in that it tends to the difcouragement of that moft wife and excellent inflitution. And that it is the indifpenfable duty of every man and woman to enter into that flate, excepting in the cafe of unfurmountable conftitutional or prudential objections, is as plain, as that it is the duty of every man and woman to eat and drink. For it is as certainly the defign of Providence, that the fpecies be kept up, as that the life of individuals be preferved by nourishment. And what is the duty of one is the duty of all, unless in the cafe of infuperable obftacles.

The indulgence of this appetite to excefs is as clearly unjuftifiable as that of any other. The effects of every undue fenfual indulgence are finking and debafing the mind, mifleading it from the fublime views, and noble purfuits, for which it was created, and habituating it to difobedience and mifrule; which is directly contrary to the intention of a ftate of difcipline. Whoever gives himself up to the uncontrouled dominion of paffion or appetite, fells himself an unredeemable flave to the moft rigorous, and moft defpicable of tyrants. And it is only going on farther and farther in fuch bafe indulgences, and at laft, no gratification whatever of the defire will be fufficient. Yet, there is no ftate in life, in which abftinence at times, from fenfual gratifications of every kind, is not indifpenfably neceffary. Every reader's common fenfe will convince him of the truth of this, and particularly with refpect to the fubject we are now upon. Though marriage is the natural way of gratifying the mutual defires of the fexes, every body knows, that a continued indulgence is utterly incompatible with the marriage ftate. Which fhews plainly, that the due regulation and reftraint of every paflion and appetite, is the fcheme of nature, and that unbounded excels is contrary to nature. And yet, how ftrange is it to confider the poor and fuperficial fallacies, which mankind think fuflicient to fatisfy themselves with, rather than give up their favourite vices and follies? What can be more contemptible than the common plea for all exceffive and irregular indugences, particularly the criminal commerce of the fexes; That

we

we are formed with natural inclinations, defires, and powers; and why fhould we not act according to the bent of our nature?

To pursue the ends of nature, according to the order of nature, is fo far from being criminal, that it is virtue. But excefs and irregularity are directly contrary to nature's views. This is feen by every man, in every cafe where paffion and appetite do not blind him. We have a natural appetite, for example, to food. How comes it then, that we do not as often over-gorge our ftomachs with plain bread as with dainties? The one would be as irregular and vicious as the other. Yet we should fee a strange abfurdity in the former, while we can excufe ourselves in the latter. If we are formed with a natural appetite for food, why do we make fuch a difference in the indulgence of our appetite in delicacies, from plain food? The truth is, that excess of all kinds is indefenfible, and unnatural. If it were natural, we should be as apt to eat too much bread, as too much pafty. It is the deplorable weaknefs of our nature, that we yield to appetite and paffion, till they became too powerful for us, and lead us captive in fpite of ourselves. While we pretend, we only follow nature, we are indulging a falfe and vitiated tafte. And in no indulgence is there more fhameful excefs committed, nor greater deviations from the intention of nature, than in that which is the fubject of this paragraph. Were the above apology for excess of any weight, that is, were it proper we should do every thing we have power or inclination to, we might by the fame plea throw ourselves down a precipice, becaufe we have power to do it. The thief may fteal, because he has a natural defire to ease rather than labour; the drunkard may drink himfelf to death, because it is natural to quench thirst; the paffionate man may kill his enemy, because he has a natural difpofition to repel injuries; in fhort, if this plea be good for any thing, it renders all exceffes, which take their first rise from a natural appetite, innocent.

Such an indulgence in fleep, in leifure or in action, and in relaxations or amufements, as may be neceffary for the refreshment and health of thefe frail vehicles

we now inhabit is allowable. And the juft measure of fuch indulgence is different according to different conftitutions and ways of life. But it is to be feared, that hundreds exceed the bounds of moderation, for one, who reftricts himfelf too much. Let every reader lay his hand upon his heart, and think what loft time he will have to anfwer for hereafter. The fafe fide is, to indulge rather too little than too much. A tolerable conftitution will hold better with eight hours fleep, in the twenty-four, than with more. And as to relaxations or diverfions, the plea of their neceffity is wholly groundlefs, except for those who live a laborious, or ftudious life. What neceffity for thofe, whose whole existence is one continued courfe of indolence and relaxation, for relaxation? Relaxation from what? Not from bufinefs; for they never do any. The proper relaxation from idlenefs, would be to do fomewhat. And there is no mortal, who is one degree above an idiot, that is not capable of doing fomething worth living for.

Whoever can perfuade himself, that it was the intention of his Maker, in placing him in this state of difcipline, that he fhould país an exiftence as useless as that of a flock or a ftone, (fuppofing him innocent of all pofitive crimes) muft have ftrange notions of the Divine Oeconomy, and of his own nature. If that fort of life be lawful and proper for one, it is fo for all. And where would then be the bufinefs of life, the improvement of ourselves, the care of our children, the government of kingdoms, the advancement of the fpecies toward a preparation for a future ftate of happiness? Let no one pretend, that he cannot find employment, till he has at leaft performed all that is prefcribed in this book.

I will here throw together a few remarks on fome of the modern fashionable amusements.

Gaming is an amufement wholly unworthy of rational beings, having neither the pretence of exercising the body, of exerting ingenuity, or of giving any natural pleasure; and owing its entertainment wholly to an unnatural and vitiated tafte; the cause of infinite lofs of