is allowed us therefore to eat and drink, and to take Pleasure in doing fo within the Bounds of a juft Moderation, and with a thankful Senfe of the Divine Goodness. The wife Man pronounceth, that it is good and comely for a Man to eat and drink, and to enjoy the Good of all his Labour that he taketh under the Sun, all the Days of his Life which God giveth him. And he adds, that this is the Gift of God. Ecclef. v. 18, 19. See alfo Chap. ii. 24. iii. 12, 13. And in the New Teftament it is declared, that every Creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with Thanksgiving. And a fevere Cenfure is paffed upon thofe as falfe Teachers and Deceivers, who commanded to abstain from divers Kinds of Meats, which God bath created to be received with Thanksgiving, of them which believe and know the Truth. 1 Tim. iv. 1, 3, 4. Thus we fee how admirably Christianity, in this as well as other Inftances, keeps clear of all Extremes; and fuitable to this was the Example of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the most perfect Pattern of all moral Excellence: He came eating and drinking, i.e. he allowed himself in the moderate Ufe of Meats and Drinks; and, though he never tranfgreffed the Rules of Temperance, the Pharifees took Occafion to reproach him, becaufe he did not himself

practife,

practise, nor bind upon his Difciples the Obfervance of thofe frequent rigorous Faftings upon which they valued themfelves. That the Gofpel is far from countenancing fuch a fevere Abftinence as tends to hurt the Body appears from that Injunction of St. Paul to Timothy, Drink no longer Water, but ufe a little Wine for thy Stomach's Sake, and thine often Infirmities. 1 Tim. v. 23.

But then, on the other Hand, Intemperance, and an exceffive Indulgence of the Appetite of Meat and Drink, is most exprefsly forbidden in the Holy Scriptures; When thou fitteft to eat with a Ruler, confider diligently what is before thee; and put a Knife to thy Throat, if thou be a Man given to Appetite. Be not defirous of his Dainties; for they are deceitful Meat. Prov. xxiii, 1, 2, 3. And again, Verfes 20, 21, Be not amongst Wine-bibbers, among ft riotous Eaters of Flefl: For the Drunkard and the Glutton come to Poverty, and Drowfinefs fhall clothe a Man with Rags. And the fad Effects of Drunkennels are there most elegantly and pathetically defcribed, Verse 29-35. The best and wifeft. Men in all Ages have concurred in reprefenting Intemperance in Eating and Drinking as a moft fhameful and unmanly Vice, which tends not only to difhonour the Body, but to debase the Soul, and to abufe

and

1

and ftupify the rational Powers; and opens a Way to the most scandalous Enormities. But, befides this, we are particularly warned against it in the Gofpel-Law, as altogether unbecoming our Character and Privileges as Chriftians: The Night is far spent, the Day is at Hand: Let us therefore caft off the Works of Darkness, and let us put on the Armour of Light. Let us walk honestly, or decently and orderly, evoxnμóvws, as in the Day, not in Rioting and Drunkenness. Rom. xiii. 12, 13. St. Paul oppofes the being drunk with Wine to the being filled with the Spirit. Eph. v. 18, And our Saviour re

presents the Indulging to Riot and Intemperance as inconfiftent with making a due Preparation for the future Judgment: Take Heed to your felves, faith he, left at any Time your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness, and Cares of this Life, and fo that Day come upon you unawares. Luke xxi. 34. And, finally, Drunkenness, Revellings, and fuch-like, are reckoned among the Works of the Flesh, concerning which it is declared, that they which do fuch Things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Gal, v. 21, These Representations are very wifely defigned to prevent our giving Way to intemperate Excuses, or, if we have been so unhappy as to suffer ourselves to be intangled

in Habits of this Kind, fhould hinder our perfifting in them, and fhould put us upon vigorous Endeavours to shake them off. This indeed may be a Work of great Dif ficulty, but it is far from being impoffible: And by forfaking the bafe Pleasures of Intemperance we fhall be prepared for Satisfactions of a nobler Kind. Temperance tends both to keep the Mind and Powers of Reason found and clear, and the bodily Senfes clean and vigorous. It may therefore be justly said, that the temperate Man hath a far jufter Relish even of sensible Enjoyments than the diffolute Debauchee, befides the Satisfaction which arifeth from the Reflections of his own Mind on his having acted in a Manner agreeable to the Will and Law of God, and becoming his rational Nature: And even Fafting and Abstinence on proper Occafions, when it is made Ufe of as an Help to Devotion, and not carried to a fuperftitious Excefs, yieldeth more of a fincere Satisfaction than all the riotous Joys of the voluptuous Sensualist.

Secondly, Another Part of our Duty, with regard to the Regulation of our bodily Appetites, is Continence or Chastity, which confifteth in the due Government of that natural Propenfion which is defigned for the Continuance of the Species. This is implanted

implanted by the Author of our Beings, and hath a Pleasure annexed to it for wife Purpofes; and, when properly conducted and regulated, it may anfwer valuable Ends. In the inferior brute Creatures this animal

Instinct or Appetite cannot be properly brought under Laws; but among Men, who are rational Agents, it is neceffary that it fhould be fo. It must be governed in fuch a Manner as to fhun Diforder and Licentioufnefs, and to lay a proper Foundation for Forming Families, and the Relations refulting from thence, and for the orderly Education of Children. For this Purpose Marriage was inftituted by Divine Appointment, which is well fitted to be a Source of human Happiness, and was originally inten ded both to gratify and regulate this Inclination, to direct it in it's proper Channel, and keep it within juft Bounds. Indeed Superftition and falfe Devotion hath carried this much farther. Under Pretence of an extraordinary Degree of Purity, it hath put Men upon binding themfelves by foJemn Vows to fupprefs this natural Inclination, and not allow the regular Gratincation of it in Marriage, as if this was a Kind of Impurity and Uncleanness : But the Language of the holy Scriptures is very different. To avoid Fornication, faith St.

Paul,