Puslapio vaizdai
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'minishes ftrength, and maketh wounds.' word, it is the forerunner of every mischief. The drunkard is, in many refpects, in a worse ftate than a beast, not only as having as little reason about him, but that he is difabled from being of any ufe to himself or others; too often undertaking rafh actions, for which he must be hang'd when he is fober. He is a prey to every one who pleases to make him fo. He is generally very poor, and ruins He renders his life fhort and con

his health.

temptible, and his death miferable.

7. Gluttony.

What I have faid of drunkenness, holds in a

great degree the fame for gluttony.

be more fit for a hog than a man.

This feems to

• Eat as be

'cometh a man, those things which are fet before thee, and devour not, left thou be hated.

• Sound sleep cometh of moderate eating: he rifeth 6 early, and his wits are about him.

But the pains of watching, and choler, and C pangs of the belly, are with an unfatiable man.' Nothing can be more certain than that a little good food taken in time, relieves nature, and we grow ftrong and healthy; but much gluttonizing and devouring meats deftroys health, wounds peace, and banishes comfort from our dwellings.

8. Steal

8. Stealing.

The eighth commandment given from the mouth of God is, Thou shalt not fleal.

The most ignorant nations upon the face of the globe, punish thieves. With us you know, they are punished with feverity, even to death and thievery is much oftener discovered, than thieves themselves have generally wit enough to imagine to be poffible. God confounds their devices. This crime is of fo black a dye, and fo unworthy, as hardly to bear being mentioned amongst good people. Of fuch wicked perfons Solomon fays,

The hope of the wicked fhall be cut off, and ← their trust shall be as a spider's web.' The law of Chrift fays, Let him that stole, steal no more, but work with his hands, the thing that is good,' that he may not only fupport himself in credit, but have fomething to spare to fuch as are in extreme want, and cannot work, being unable by infancy or age, or wounds, or fickness, or having no work whereby to get his bread.

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Indeed a thief lives in trouble and difgrace, and generally dies a miferable and infamous death.

9. Swear

9. Swearing.

Swearing is no less a foolish than a wicked practice ; all wickedness in a true fenfe is foolishness, but this is the most foolish of all foolish things. It would be hard indeed, if a boy might not be comparatively as brisk as a bee, and active as air, and yet be foberminded, and know what to do with his tongue. A lad of spirit and refolution, will do his duty as quick as lightning, and if it is required, be bold as a lion but no one would run himself into the danger of making God his enemy, against all duty. And who would chufe to talk like a parrot, a fool, or a madman, much less to fide with the devil, as all fwearers do, who take the name of God in vain? Sober men, when their companions fwear, remind them of it, and endevor to make them afhamed, Hear what wholesome advice and admonition Solomon gives us.

'Accustom not thy mouth to swearing, neither ufe thyself to the naming the Holy One.'

For as a fervant that is continually beaten, fhall not be without a blue mark, fo he that ❝ sweareth and nameth God continually, shall not be faultlefs.'

A greater than Solomon, even the most high God, whose name is too awful to be fo much as men

tioned without reverence, has declared in his third commandment, as already said,

That he will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Beware therefore not to learn, what you will certainly wish to unlearn; what can never do you any good; what muft do you great harm. If you die without repentance of fuch an offence against your Maker, it will be the cause of your everlasting punishment in the world to come.

10. Whoring.

As to whoring, you may have heard of the dreadful confequences of it. Many more die of the foul disease, and of confumptions contracted by this vice, than ever acknowledge it. Many a brave young

man has brought himself to

an early grave by it.

The wife man fays, The fornicator fhall be punished in the ftreets of the city; and where he suspecteth not, he shall be taken.'-And again,

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If thou give thy foul the defires that please her, she will make thee a laughing stock to thy ene'mies.' And speaking of a harlot, or lewd wicked woman, he inftructs us in these words, which you ought to engrave upon your heart, and never to forget, Her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as ' a two-edged fword.

• She

< She lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the tranfgreffors among men.'

Her feet go down to death: her fteps take hold on hell.'-And accordingly we find it confirmed by the declaration made by Chrift himself, that this vice is fo offenfive to God, that, no fornicator, adulterer, or unclean perfon, fhall enter into the kingdom of Heaven.'

The fin of fornication is forbidden by the law of Christ under the penalty of eternal damnation: and alas, who can fay when he fins, that he will repent? Is it not a grofs affront to the Majesty of Heaven, to violate his laws, with a defign, or a perhaps, for it can be no more than a perhaps, that he will repent? This fin often brings on early death; and there is no repentance in the grave.

You see what work for repentance men make by their vices; and who, as I have faid, can wifely pretend he shall live a day to repent, or be fure he shall have a heart to amend his life. If we mean to end our lives happily, we muft begin them virtuously.

11. Anger.

The fame caution which will give you the command of yourself, not to be a prey to evil defires for women, will help you to reftrain your anger.Solomon fays, that

• Anger

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