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Of Temperance in Drinking; false ends of Drinking, viz. Good Fel∣lowship, putting away Cares,
THE next thing is Temperance in Drinking; the right Ends whereof are the very same with Eating, viz. the preserving our Lives and sup∣porting our Healths, but this like the former has been sadly subvert∣ed and directed to Purposes strange∣ly distant from the Original intent of it.
Men now drink themselves into Beast under the common but false Notion of Good-Fellowship; o∣thers drink to exces•••• under the pretence that 'tis a gre•••• means to maintain a mutual Friendship and Corresponden•• amongst Men; some will have it, that 'tis highly useful to che•••• the Spirits, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 correct and disp•••• Melancholy; that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 drives away the Cares and Perple∣xities of Humane Life; that 'tis very fit for the passing away time and filling up empty Intervals, na•• some will tell us 'tis Reproach not to d•• it, and argues a great deal of sowreness and disingenuity, man there are that drink for drinking sake that love the Liquor
and so are Sots without any of the former Pretences; but these are all great mistakes, and truly upon a fair State of the Matter, 'tis a subject fit both for our Wonder and Sorrow, how this unaccountable Practice of excessive Drinking should have so unluckily encroach'd upon all Societies; that no Bargain can be made (which is another pretence for it) nor nothing of a∣ny Moment transacted, but the Tavern, or the Ale-house must be the Place fixt upon for the doing of it.
The unreasonable∣ness of these Motives is too plain to admit of a Dispute, they are all so ridicu∣lous, absurd and inconsistent, that upon a short Appeai to common Ex∣perience we find 'em exploded and condemn'd; every Degree of this Sin is a high breach of Temperance; every drop we drink beyond what is convenient for moderate Refresh∣ment, is an Offence both against
God and Man, and the strong Drinke•• above all the rest both from the evi•• of his Example, and Practice the most un∣accountable.
A Man would think that the many Mis∣chiefs that attend this Sin should be a warn∣ing to us to avoid it when we consider 'tis a dishonour to God a reproach to Christianity, and a Destruction both to our Souls and Bodies; sure a few Exhortations may serve to prevail with us to for∣sake it.
And why should any seeming diffi∣culties dissuade us against parting with so dangerous a Vice; why should we plead Custom•• or the Necessity of Drink, or why
should we betray so much Folly, nay so much Wickedness to make drinking the business of our Lives. Alas! 'tis a mistake, and let the vain deluded Drunkard say what he will, it can be no Reproach to us to reject all Intemperances of this kind, and all the Persuasions of Men upon that Account.
The Means to re∣sist these, and all o∣ther Temptations for intemperate Drink∣ing, are to weigh the Good with the Ill, and the pretended Advantages with the real Losses and Dan∣gers, and to reject them at their very beginnings, and to a∣void all manner of Occasions and Oppor∣tunities, this we may do, if it be not our own fault, and these and such like means will effectually do the
Business, if our mistaken Love t•• Vice does not hinder it, and make us unwilling to believe it, either dangerous or destructive.
Drinking directed to false Ends.
False end of Drinking, Good-Fel∣lowship.
Preserving Kindness. Chearing the Spirits, and putting away Cares.
Preventing Reproach.
Pleasure of Drinking.
Bargaining.
Degrees of this Sin.
The great Guilt of strong drink∣ers:
The great Mischiefs of the Sin, an Exhortation to forsake it.
Difficulties of forsaking it con∣sider'd, viz. Ne∣cessity of drink, want of employ and Reproaches and Persuasions of Men.
Means to re∣sist this Sin, by weighing the advan∣tage with the hurt, and re∣jecting the Temptations.
Security to do so. Love of the Sin hinders the means, makes Men loath to be∣lieve the danger.