poftle proteft, that no Drunkard fhall enter into the Kingdom of God, and go on! Will not God take an account one day, and examine how I have spent my time; and can I spend it worfe than by exceeding irrational Creatures in fenfuality? What Brute but a Swine would diforder it self, as I do in my Body? What can I plead in excufe of fo foul a Crime? Shall I plead Natural Inclination, when nothing is a greater Difgrace to my Nature than this Sin? Shall I fay, I am tempted to it, when my yielding to the Temptation argues the greater weakpefs and pufillanimity? Shall I pretend Custom, when I cannot look upon the picture of a drunken Man without deteftation? And can I act that Folly which I cannot but abhor in Portraicture? How ridiculous does even my drunken Companion feem to me, if either fickness, or some other accident, hath for a certain time kept me fober? To fee a Creature endowed with a Soul, which Devils envy, transformed into a strange Spectacle, a Madman, rather than a Chriftian; his Face pale, his Eyes fwelled, his Body reeling, his Mouth railing, flandring and abufing both God and his Neighbour; his Refolutions defperate, his Intentions evil, his fenfual Appetite lawless and ungovernable, his Defires lafcivious and unclean, his Actions diforderly, &c. To fee fo_difmal a fight, makes me admire, when my Reafon is clear, how it's poffible for Men to be fo wicked and foolish, and yet do I wilfully fall into that, the odioufnefs whereof moves my Anger, and my Wonder? How far greater is the Glory

felf

Glory of the Rechabites than of the Sodomites? And had not I better be commended with the abftemious Demofthenes,Diocles, Polemon, and the Carthaginians of old, than reproached with the loofe and intemperate Anacreon, Melancthon, Heraclides,Tiberius, and fuch Monsters of Mankind, who valued themfelves upon their exceffive Draughts, and rejoiced in Drink more, than in the most virtuous Qualifications? Is this renouncing the Devil and all his Works, as I vowed to do in Baptifm? Is this adorning the Gospel of my Saviour, as my Profeffion requires? If I fear not Hell-Fire, Why do not I fear impoverishing of my felf and Family? How do I dispose my for all manner of Sin, by this Enormity? What Crime is there that I am not fit for, when my Reason is overwhelmed with Drink? How do I imbezzel the Gifts of God, when I abufe his Creatures thus? How do I pervert the end of God's Bounty, when I make that to ruin and deftroy my Nature, which was intended to preferve it? What difficulty is there in leaving fo grofs a Vice, which threatens fo much Mischief and Mifery? Need People be exhorted to provide for their own fafety? Need they Advice or Council to do good to themfelves? Is it fuch a Pleasure to make a Pond of my Body? Is it fuch a Pleasure, to be laughed at by all Men that maintain Sobriety? What hurt hath God ever done me, that I thould thus wilfully affront him? How foon might I vanquish this Sin, if I would in good earnest refolve to be allured by my old Companions no more? And why should they be dearer to me, than my God, my Soul, and a good ConU science?

science? Will these Companions fave me,when I come to die? Will it not be far more comfortable to have none of this Load to burthen and opprefs my Soul? What if God fhould itrike me dead in a drunken fit? Doth not Dives his calling for a drop of Water to cool his burning Tongue affright me? How do I prepare for Difeafes by this Vice? And if there were no Hell, no Judgment to come, how fhould the Difafters, which attend this Sin, difcourage me? What if I should drop down in fuch a Pofture, and awake in Hell? Lord! if neither the Plagues which wait upon the Offence in this World, nor the Terror of that which is to come, can diffuáde me; how justly may God pour out all the Vials of his Wrath upon me? How juftly may he plunge me into the Red Sea of his Indignation, and leave me to the Rage and Malice of the Devil, whofe Voice and Suggestions I do now obey?

Did the Sot but blow thofe Sparks of Reason he hath left into fuch Confiderations as thefe, how horrid, how naufeous, would the Sin appear? But want of Confideration makes him transform the Image of God, into the Image of a Beaft, and makes him drink away the Poor's Relief, and his own Eftate: This makes him a Thief, for he robs the Poor, and fometimes his own Family, of that Sustenance and Support he owes them, as he is a Man, and pretends to be a Chriftian: This is it makes him laugh, when he should wish for Rivers of Tears, and for a Fountain of Water, to deplore the Sadness of his Condition here,

and

and the more dreadful State of his Soul hereafter.

Did the Swearer but feriously confider,what a foolish,weak,fordid, and impertinent thing it is, to mingle Profanations of God's Name with his Speeches, he would foon take pains to avoid it, and fet a mulet upon himself for running upon the fame Rock again. Would he but think, Good God! how irrationally do I act! If I believe there is a God, what can I fancy that God to be? Sure I muft fancy him to be fuch a Deity as the Heathens worshipped,one deaf,and dumb,and blind; a Deity of Brass,or Stone, that I can fecurely play withal; a Deity that's not at all jealous of his Honour and Glory, and can fit down under every Affront that's put upon him; should the meanest .of my Servants make use of my name in every trifling discourse, in every foolish ftory, and whenever he is pettish, or peevish, I should take it very ill at his Hands; and why should I think God will endure that from me, which I would not allow in my Foot-boy, or Valet de Chambre? I must confefs there is no bait, no temptation to this Sin: He that robs upon the Highway, is tempted by an apparent Profit: The Pirate hath a rich Prize in his Eye, the Ship that comes laden with Spices from the Eaft, with Silks from the Levant, with precious Drugs from the Indies, whets his Appetite; that the Covetous hugs his Gold, and pays Adoration to his Money, as to his Saint, That he beholds the Sun when it shines, and the Moon walking in brightness, no marvel, for he fees it hath a kind of Almighty Power, can make Foes Friends, unlock Gates, break

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the strongest Bars, give him admiffion into company of the highest Quality, &c. The Diffembler hopes he may fave his Credit, and Reputation, and Fortune, by not speaking what he thinks; but in Swearing, I can have no prospect of advantage, and I must only act the Devil, love fin for fin's fake; Fornication and Adultery do yet pretend fome Pleasure, but this I cannot do in Swearing; the greatest Masters of Pleasure never reckon'd this Sin as an ingredient of Carnal fatisfaction; and tho' there is no real neceffity for any Sin, yet for this I can pretend no neceffity at all; Let them be ashamed, faith the Prophet, which tranfgrefs without cause, Pfal. 25. 3. Not that any Man, who fins, hath a just cause for finning, but fome fins, even in the Devil's Judgment,Men have no apparent cause for them, for they fin without temptation, and such a fin is fwearing Were a Knife set to my Throat, were my Life in danger, were I to die presently upon the fpot, if I did not fwear, I might have fome colour of Argument for it; but when there is nothing compels me to it, but my own wilfulness, I deferve no pity, no compaffion, if God lashes me with the fevereft Thunders. There is no fin that's more in my Power to avoid, than this; the most barbarous Heathen can fhun it, and shall I pretend impoffibility? I fee it engages me to very great uncivility, I cannot but offend all fober company by it, they must needs be uneafie in my Society, and to hear God abus'd, and how ill I do wish to my own Soul, cannot but grate upon a Heart, that hath any fense of Religion or Honefty; nor do I fee,that people