the fortifhnefs and remaining stupidity of habitual, or of the last night's drunkennefs. For Chrift forbids both the actual and habitual intemperance; not only the effect of it, but alfo the affection to it: for in both Κραιπάλη ἀπὸ προτεραίας, aut από solvonoias. Schol. in Ariftoph. Idem ferè apud Plutarch. Vinolentia animi quandam remiffionem & levitatem, ebrietas futilitatem fignificat. Plutarch. de Garrul. Eccluf. 31.25. POV. 23. 29. there is fin. He that drinks but little, if that little make him drunk, and if he know before hand his own infirmity, is guilty of furfeiting, not of drunkenness. But he that drinks much and is ftrong to bear it, and is not deprived of his reafon violently, is guilty of the fin of drunkennets. It is a fin not to prevent fuch uncharitable effects upon the body and understanding: And therefore a man that loves not the drink is guilty of furfeiting, if he does not watch to prevent the evil effect and it is a fin, and the greater of the two, inordinately to love or to use the Drink, though the furfeiting or violence do not follow. Good therefore is the counfel of the Son of Syrach, fhew now thy vali antnefs in wine, for wine hath destroyed many. Evil Confequents to Drunkenness. The evils and fad confequents of drunkenness (the Ecclus 31.26. confideration of which are as fo many arguments to avoid the fin) are to this fence reckoned by the Writers of holy Scripture,and other wife perfonages of the world. 1. It caufeth woes and mifchief, wounds and forrow, • Multa faci- fin and * fhame; it maketh bitterness of fpirit, brawant ebrii qua ling and quarrelling, it increafeth rage and leffeneth pudet. Senec. ftrength, it maketh red eyes and a loofe and babling poftea fobrios Prov. 23.33. tongue 2. It particularly minifters to luft,and yet difables the body; fo that in effect it makes man wanton as a Satyr, and impotent as age. And Solomon in enumerating the evils of this vice adds this to the account, Thine eyes fhall behold strange women, and thy heart fhall utter perverse things: as if the Drunkard were onely defire, and then impatience, muttering and enjoying like an eunuch embracing a woman. 3. It befots and hinders the actions of the understanding, ma king a man brutish in his paffions, and a fool in his reafon; and differs nothing from madness, but that it is voluntary, and fo is an equal evil in nature, and a worfe in manners. 4. It takes off all the guards, and lets loote the reigns of all thole evils to which a man is by his nature or by his evil cuftoms inclined,and from which he is reftrained by reafon and fevere principles. Drunkennefs calls off the Watchmen from their towers; and then all the evils that can proceed from a loose heart, and an untied tongue, and a diffolute fpirit,and an unguarded, unlimited will, all that we may put upon the accounts of drunkenness. 5. It extinguisheth and quenches the Spirit of God, for no man can be filled with the Spirit of God and with Wine at the fame time. And therefore S. Paul makes them exclufive of each other: Eph. s. 18. Be not drunk with wine wherein is exces, but be fil. Toy Το πεπτω είναι Philem intemperan tia bibendi & ille Herculanus ac fatalis fcyphus perdidit. of of one night's intemperance; and the drunkenness of Noah and Lot are upon record to erernal ages, that in thofe early inftances, and righteous perfons, and lefs criminal drunkennels than is that of Chriftians in this period of the world, God might fhew that very great evils are prepared to punish this vice; no lefs than fhame and flavery, and inceft; the first upon Noah, the second upon one of his Sons, and the third in the perfon of Lot. Signs of Drunkenness. But if it be enquired concerning the periods and dis ftinct fignifications of this crime, and when a man is faid to be drunk; to this I anfwer, that drunkenness is in the fame manner to be judged as fickness. As every illness or violence done to health in every part of its continuance is a part or degree of fickness, fo is every going off from our natural and common temper and our ufual feverity of behaviour, a degree of drunkennefs. He is not only drunk that can drink no more; for few are fo: but he hath finned in a degree of drunkennels who hath done any thing towards it beyond his proper meature. But its parts and periods are ufually thus reckoned. 1. Apifh geftures. 2. Much talking. 3.Immoderate laughing. 4. Dulness of fenfe. 5. Scurrility, that is, wanton, or jeering, or abufive language. 6. An ufelefs underftanding. 7. Stupid fleep. 8. Epilepfies, or fallings and reelings, and beaftly vomitings. The leaft of thete, even when the tongue begins to be united, is a degree of drunkenness. But that we may avoid the fin of Intemperance in meats and drinks, befides the former rules or measures, these counfels alfo may be useful. Rules for obtaining Temperance. 1. Be not often prefent at feafts, nor at all in diffos lute company, when it may be avoided for variery of pleafing objects fteals away the heart of man; and company company is either violent or enticing; and we are weak or complying, or perhaps defirous enough to be abuled. But if you be unavoidably or indifcreetly engaged, let not mistaken civility or good nature engage thee either to the temptation of staying (if thou understandeft thy weakness) or the fin of drinking inordinately, 2. Be fevere in your judgment concerning your proportions, and let no occafion make you enlarge tar beyond your ordinary. For a man is furprized by parts, and while he thinks one glass more will not make him drunk, that, one glafs has difabled him from well difcerning his prefent condition and neighbour danger. While men think themselves wife, they become fools: they think they fhall tafte the Aconite and not die, or crown their heads with juice of Poppy and not be drowfie; and if they drink off the whole vintage, ftill they think they can fwallow another goblet *. But Senec. Ep. remember this, whenever you begin to confider whe- 83. Chi ha ther you may fately take one draught more, it is then bevuto tutto high time to give over. Let that be accounted a fign bere anche late enough to break off: for every reafon to doubt, is un trano. a fufficient reafon to part the company. 3. Come not to table but when thy need invites thee; and if thou beeft in health, leave fomething of thy appetite unfilled, fomething of thy natural heat unemployed, that it may fecure thy digeftion, and ferve other needs of nature or the fpirit. 4. Propound to thy felf (if thou beeft in a capacity) a conftant rule of living, of eating and drinking: which though it may not be fit to obferve fcrupulously, left it become a fnare to thy confcience, or endanger thy health upon every accidental violence; yet let not thy rule be broken often, nor much, but upon great neceffity and in fmall degrees. il mare puo facias, Senes. 5. Never urge any man to eat or drink beyond his Nil intereft, own limits and his own defires. He that does other- faveas fcele wife, is drunk with his brother's furfeit, and reels and ri, an illud falls with his intemperance; that is, the fin of drunkenness is upon both their scores, they both lie wallowing in the guilt, 6. Ufe S. Paul's inftruments of Sobriety: Let us who are of the day be fober,putting on the breaft-plate of faith and love,and for an helmet the hope of falvation. Faith, Hope and Charity are the beft weapons in the world to fight against intemperance. The faith of the Mahometans forbids them to drink Wine.and they abstain religiously, as the Sons of Rechab: and the faith of Chrift forbids drunkenness to us, and therefore is infinitely more powerfull to fupprefs this vice, when we remember that we are Chriftians, and to abstain from drunkenness and guttony is part of the Faith and Difcipline of Jefus, and that with these vices neither our love to God, nor our hopes of heaven can poffibly confift; and therefore when thefe enter the heart, the others go out at the mouth: for this is the Devil that is caft out by tafting and prayer, which are the proper actions of these graces. 7. As a pursuance of this Rule, it is a good advice, that as we begin and end all our times of eating with prayer and thanksgiving to at the meal we remove and carry up our mind and fpirit to the celeftial table, often thinking of it, and often defiring it; that by inkindling thy defire to heavenly banquets, thou may'ft be indifferent and lefs paffionate for the earthly. 8. Mingle difcourfes pious, or in fome fence profitable, and in all fences charitable and innocent, with thy meal as occafion is miniftred. 9. Let your drink fo ferve your meat, as your meat doth your health; that it be apt to convey and digeft it, and refresh the fpirits: but let it never go beyond fuch a refreshment as may a little lighten the present load of a fad or troubled fpirit: never to inconvenience, lightnefs, fottifhnels, vanity or intemperance; and know that the loofing the bands of the tongue; and the very firft diffolution of its duty, is one degree of the internperance. Io. In all cafes be carefull that you be not brought under the power of fuch things which otherwife are lawful enough in the ufe. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any |