the perfons with whom we much converfe; and you can never make yourself more agreeable to any, at leaft as a companion, than when you countenance their conduct by imitating it. He who affociates with the intemperate, and yet refufes to join in their exceffes, will foon find, that he is looked upon as condemning their practice; and, therefore, that he has no way of continuing them his friends, but by going into the fame irregularity, in which they allow themfelves. If his chearfulness, his face tioufnels, or wit, endear him to them, and render them unwilling to quit an intercourfe with one fo qualified to amufe them; all their arts will be tried to corrupt his fobriety where he lies moft open to temp tation will be carefully watched; and no method left unattempted, that can appear likely to make him regardless of his duty. But who can reckon himfelf fafe, when fo much pains will be used to enfnare him? Whofe virtue is fecure, amidst the earneft endeavours of his conftant companions to undermine it?

Another caution which I have laid down is, Never fit long among thofe, who are in the progrefs towards excefs. The expediency of this advice will be acknowledged, if we confider how difficult it is to be long upon our guard-how apt we are to forget ourfelves, and then to be betrayed into the guilt, against which we had moft firmly refolved.

In the eagerness of our own difcourfe, or in our attention to that of others, or in the pleasure we receive from the good humour of our companions, or in the fhare we take of their mirth, we may very naturally be fuppofed unobferving, how much we have drank-how near we have got to the utmost bounds of fobriety: thefe, under the circumstances I have mentioned, may eafily be paffed by us, without the leaft fufpicion of it-before we are under any apprehenfion of our danger.

As in difputes, one unadvised expreffion brings on another, and after a few arguments both fides grow warm, from warmth advance to anger, are by anger fpurred on to abufe, and thence, often, go to thole extremities, to which they would have thought themfelves incapable of proceeding: fo is it when we fit long, where what gives the most frequent occafion to difputes is before us-where the intoxicating draught is circulating; one invites us to more-our fpirits rife-our wariness de

clines-from chearfulness we país to noisy mirth-our mirth ftops not long fhort of folly our folly hurries us to a madness, that we never could have imagined likely to have been our reproach.

If you have often loft the command of yourfelf, where a certain quantity of liquor hath been exceeded; you should be fure never to approach that quantity—you fhould confine yourfelf to what is much fhort of it. Where we find that a reliance upon our warinefs, upon the leadiness and firmness of our general refolutions, has deceived us, we fhould truft them no more; we fhould confide no more in these precautions, which have already proved an infufficient check upon us. When I cannot refift a temptation, I have nothing left for my fecurity but to fly it. If I know that I am apt to yield, when I am tempted: the part I have then to act is, to take care that I may not be tempted. Thus only I fhew myfelf in earneft; hereby alone I evidence, that my duty is really my care.

We have experienced, that we cannot withdraw from the company we like, exactly at fuch a point of time-we have experienced, that we fometimes do not perceive when we have got to the utmot bounds of temperance--we have unhappily experienced, that when it has been known to us, how fmall an addition of liquor would diforder us, we then have fo far lot the power over ourselves, as not to be able to refrain from what we thus fully knew would be prejudicial to us. In thefe cir cumitances, no way remains of fecuring our fobriety, if we will refort to any place where it is at all hazarded, but either having our ftint at once before us, or confining ourfelves to that certain number of mea fured draughts, from whence we are fure we can have nothing to fear. And he, who will not take this method-he who will reft in a general intention of fobriety, when he has feen how often that intention has been in vain, how often he has mif carried, notwithstanding it, can never be confidered as truly concerned for his pait failings, as having feriously refolved not to repeat them. So far as I omit any due precaution against a crime, into which I know myfelf apt to be drawn, fo far I may jufly be regarded as indifferent towards it; and fo far all my declarations, of being forry for and determined to leave it, must be confidered as infincere.

§ 139. Oa

$139. On Intemperance in Drinking.

SECT. V.

Never make any quantity of ftrong liquor accesary to your refreshment. What occafios this to be a fit caution is, That it the quantity we cannot be without is, in the beginning, a very moderate one, it will, probably, foon increafe, and become, at length, fo great as mult give us the worft to fear. The reason, why it is thus likely to be increafed, is, that a fmall draught, by the habitual ufe of it, will ceafe to raile car spirits, and therefore, when the defign of our drinking is in order to raise them, we shall at length feek to do it by a much Larger quantity of liquor, than what was wanted for that purpose at first.

It seems to be, further, proper advice on this fubject, That we fhould never apply to Arong liquor for eafe under cares or troubles of any kind. From fears, from dappointments, and a variety of uneafiretes, none are exempt. The inconfiderate are impatient for a speedy relief; which, the fpirituous draught affords, they are tempted to feek it from thence.

But how very imprudent they muft be, would by fuch means quiet their minds, no evident. For, is any real ground a trouble removed, by not attending to it by diverting our thoughts from it? In many cafes, the evil we would remedy by not thinking upon it is, by that very courfe, made much more diftreffing, than it otherwife would have been; nay, fometimes, quite remedilefs. In all cafes, the less heated our brain is, and the greater calmnefs we preferve, the fitter we are to help our felves; the fitter we are to encounter difficuities, to prevent our being involved in them; or, if that cannot be, to extricate oartelves speedily from them.

The cafe, which liquor gives, is but that of a dream: when we awake, we are again ourfelves; we are in the fame fituation as before, or, perhaps, in a worfe. What then is to be the next step? Soon as the ftupifying effects of one draught are gone off, another must be taken; the fure confe. quence of which is, that fuch a habit of drinking will be contracted, as we shall valaly endeavour to conquer, though the original inducement to it thould no longer fit. To guard against this, as it is of the utmost importance to all of us, fo the only certain way is, by ftopping in the very first instance; by never feeking, either ader care or pain, relief from what we

drink, but from thofe helps, which reafon and religion furnish; the only ones, indeed, to which we can wifely refort in any straits; and which are often found capable of extricating us, when our condition feems the moft defperate.

A prudent man fhould never defert himfelf. Where his own efforts avail him not, the care of an over-ruling Providence may interpofe, and deliver him. But to borrow fupport against our troubles from liquor, is an entire defertion of ourselves; it is giving up our ftate, as an undone one-it is aban. doning our own discretion, and relinquishing all hopes of the DEITY's allistance.

Lastly, Know always, how you may usefully employ, or innocently amuse yourself. When time is a burden upon us, when we are at a lofs how to pafs it, our chearfulnefs of courfe abates, our fpirits flag, we are reflefs and uneafy: here then we are in the fitteft difpofition, and under the strongeft inducements, to refort to what we know will enliven us, and make our hours glide away infenfibly. Befides, when we cannot tell what to do with ourselves, it is natural we should feek for thofe, who are as idle as ourselves; and when fuch company meet, it is eafy to fee what will keep them together; that drinking must be their entertainment, fince they are so ill qualified for any other.

Idlenefs has been not unfitly term'd, the parent of all vices; but none it more frequently produces than drunkenness; as no vice can make a greater waste of our time, the chief thing about which the idle are folicitous. On the other hand, he who can profitably bufy, or innocently divert himfelf, has a fure refort in all humours-he has his fpirits feldom depreffed, or when they are fo, he can, without any hazard, recruit them he is fo far from feeking a correfpondence with fuch, as are always in a readiness to engage in fchemes of intemperance and riot, that he fhuns them; his amufements, quite different from theirs, occafion him to be feldom with them, and fecure him from being corrupted by them.

This we may lay down as a molt certain truth, that our virtue is never safe, but when we have proper diverfions. Unbent we fometimes muft be; and when we know not how to be fo in an innocent way, we foon fhall be in a guilty. But if we can find full entertainment in what is free from all reproach, in what neither has any thing criminal in it, nor can lead us into what is criminal; then, indeed, and only then, can

much your duty to do fo, as it is his duty to forbear a greater quantity, who fuffers the fame from it, which you do from a letter. When you know that it is a crime to be drunk, and know likewife what will mike vou fo; the in re or lefs, which will dotas, is nothing to the purpofe-alters not your guilt. If you will not refrain from two or three draughts, when you are fure that drunkenness will be the confequence of them; it cannot be thought, that any more regard to fobriety keeps you from d.inking the large quantity whatfoever. Had ech a regard an influence upon you, it would have an equal one; it would keep you from every step, by which your fobriety could faffer.

A to fupporting an intereft, promoting a trade, avantageously bargaining for ourjele, by drinking more than is convenient for us; they are, for the most part, only the poor evafions of the infincere, of thofe who are willing to lay the blame of their conduct on any thing, rather than on what alone deferves it-rather than on their bad inclinations.

Civility and courtesy, kind offices, acts charity and liberality will both raise more friends, and keep those we have fer to us, than any quantities of liquor, which we can either diftribute or drink: and as for mens trade or their bargains, let them always act fairly-let them, whether they buy or fell, fhew that they abhor all tricking and impofition-all little and mean artifices: and I'll ftake my life, they shall never have reafon to object, that, if they will always preferve their fobriety, they mut leffen their gains.

But were it true, that, if we will refolve never to hazard intoxicating ourselves, we maft lose our friends, and forego our prefeat advantage; they are inconveniencies, which, in fuch a cafe, we fhould chearfully fubmit to. Some pains must be taken, fome difficulties must be here encountered; if we will have any reasonable ground to expect happiness in a future ftate. Of this even common fenfe muft fatisfy us.

Credulous as we are, I think it impoffible, that any man in his wits would believe me, if I were to tell him, that he might miss no opportunity of bettering his fortune-that he might remove any evil he had to fear, by whatsoever method he thought proper that he might throughout follow his inclinations, and gratify his appetites; and yet reft affured, that his death would be but the paffage to great and end

lefs joys. I know not, to whom fuch an affertion would not appear extremely abfurd: notwitbitanding which, we, certainly, do not act, as if there were any abfurdity in it, when we make what is evidently our duty give way to our convenience; and rather confider, how profitable this or that practice is than how right. That, therefore, fobriety, added to other parts of a virtuous conduct, may entitle us to the fo much hoped for reward, we must be fober, under all forts of difcou ragements. It rarely, indeed, happens, that we meet with any; but to refift the greatest must be our refolution, if we will recommend ourselves to the Governor of the univerfe-if we will hope for his faDean Bulton.

vour.

§ 141. On Intemperance in Drinking.

SECT. VII.

Thus much with regard to drunkenness, fo far as it is committed by intoxicating ourfelves by drinking, 'till our reafon is gone but as there is yet another way, in which we may offend in it, viz. by drinking more than is proper for our refreshment; I muft on this likewife beftow a few obfervations.

When we drink more than fuffices to recruit our fpirits, our paffions are heightened, and we ceafe to be under the influence of that calm temper, which is our only fafe counfellor, The next advance beyond refreshment is to that mirth, which both draws many unguarded speeches from us, and carries us to many indifcreet actions-which waftes our time, not barely while we are in the act of drinking, but as it unfettles our heads, and indifpofes us to attention to bufinefs, to a clofe application in any way. Soon as our fpirits are raised beyond their juft pitch, we are for fchemes of diverfion and pleafure; we are unfit for ferious affairs, and therefore cannot entertain a thought of being employed in them.

Befides, as according to the rife of our fpirits, their fall will, afterward, be; it is moft probable, that when we find them thus funk, we fhall again refort to what we have experienced the remedy of fuch a complaint; and thereby be betrayed, if not into the exccffes, which deprive us of our reafon, yet into fuch a habit of drinking, as occafions the lofs of many precious hours

impairs our health-is a great mifappli cation of our fortune, and a most ruinous

K

example

example to our obfervers. But, indeed, whence is it to be feared, that we shall be come downright fots-that we fhall contract a habit of drinking to the moft difguifing excefs; whence, I fay, is this to be feared, if not from accuftoming ourfelves to the frequent draughts, which neither our thirft-nor fatue-nor conftitution requires: by frequently ufing them, our inclination to them is ftrengthened; till at length we cannot prevail upon ourfelves to leave our cup, while we are in a condition

to lift it.

Thefe are objections, in which all are concerned, whofe refreshment, from what they drink, is not their rule in it; but to men of moderate fortunes, or who are to make their fortunes, other arguments are to be used: thefe perfons are to confider, that even the leffer degree of intemperance, now cenfured, is generally their utter undoing, thro' that neglect of their affairs, which is its neceffary confequence. When we mind not our own bufinefs, who can we think likely to mind it for us? Very few, certainly, will be met with, difpofed and able to do it; and not to be both, is much the fame, as to be neither. While we are paffing our time with our chearful companions, we are not only lofing the advantages, which care and induftry, either in infpecting our affairs, or pursuing our employment, would have afforded us; but we are actually confuming our fortune we are habituating ourfelves to a most expenfive idlenefs-we are contracting a difinclination to fatigue and confinement, even when we molt become fenfible of their neceffity, when our affairs muft run into the utmost confufion without them. And we, in fact, perceive that, as foon as the fcholar, or trader, or artificer, or whoever it is, that has the whole of his maintenance to gain, or has not much to fpend, addicts himself only to this lower degree of intemperance accufloms himself to fit long at his wine, and to exceed that quantity of it which his relief demand, he becomes worthlefs in a double fenfe, as deferving nothing, and, if a care greater than his own fave him not, as having nothing.

Add to all this, that the very fame difeafes, which may be apprehended from of ten intoxicating curfelves, are the ufual attendants not only of frequently drinking to the full of what we can conveniently bear, but even of doing it in a large quantity. The only difference is, that fuch difeafes come more freedily on us from the former, than the latter caufe; and, perhaps, deftrcy us

fooner. But how defirable it is to be long ftruggling with any of the distempers, which our exceffes occafion, they can belt determine who labour under them.

The inconveniencies which attend our more freely ufing the least hurtful of any fpirituous liquors have fo evidently ap peared-have fhewn themfelves to many and fo great, as even to call for a remedy from the law itfelf; which, therefore, pu nifhes both thofe, who loiter away their time at their cups, and thofe, who fuffer it to be done in their houses.

A great part of the world, a much greater than all the parts added together, in which the Chriflian religion is profeffed, are forbidden all manner of liquors, which can caufe drunkennefs; they are not allowed the mallet quantity of them; and it would be an offence which would receive the moft rigorous chaltifement, if they were known to vie any; their lawgiver has, in this particular, been thought to have acted according to the rules of good policy; and the governors of thole countries, in which this law is in force, have, from its firft reception among ft them, found it of fuch benefit, as to allow no relaxation of it. I do not mention fuch a practice as any rule for us: difference of climates makes quite different ways of living neceffary: 1 only mention it as a leffon to us, that, if fo great a part of mankind submit to a total abftinence from wine and strong drink, we fhould use them fparingly, with caution and moderation; which is, certainly, necellary to our welfare, whatever may be the effect of entirely forbearing them on theirs.

pe

In the most admired of all the western governments, a ftrict fobriety was required of their women, under the very feverest naltics: the punishment of a departure from it was nothing less than capital: and the cuftom of faluting women, we are told, was introduced in order to difcover whether any fpirituous liquor had been drank by them.

In this commonwealth the men were prohibited to drink wine 'till they had at tained thirty years.

The whole body of foldiery, among this people, had no other draught to enable them to bear the greateft fatigue-to raise their courage, and animate them to encounter the most terrifying difficulties and dangers, but water fharpened with vinegar. And what was the confequence of fuch strict fobriety obferved by both fexes? What was the confequence of being born of parents fo exactly temperate, and of being trained up in a habit of the utmost abitemioufnels

What,