pitiful filly fneaks? nor can they tell how to be pleasant, but at the expence of God's honour, and the hazard of their own falvation; both which they will not ftick to fet to fale; for the poor fatisfaction of putting their company all in laughter. And here fome, whofe ftock of wit is even as flender as one could wish; yet muft needs fet up for wits, to gird at that which is their greatest eye-fore, and whet their own dulnefs upon God's holiness. Indeed, to fet them down in the fcorner's chair, and feek to laugh the children of God out of their fidelity and duty, is an easy attempt, fit for the man of pleasure, whofe rifibility may do fome feats, where his rationality is never like to get any victory. For Chriftianity fears not the attacks of philofophy. But drollery carries a fort of charm, to engage the loofe party. And fo an Ariftophanes, that with a bongrace, will paint out religion and piety, for a piece of knavery or folly; and think he can catch up God in his Word, and dares put his tricks upon the Lord Almighty, and calls them to account, who begin to think of breaking with the devil, and deferting his fervice; what, repent, and be a fop, and turn fool! O how is he admired then, as the libertine's oracle? And how does the humour take, and the fquibs run round? and they whofe defperate cafe inclines them to be atheifts, grow then exorbitant, out of all measure; even fo as to fly upon their Judge. And thus is the feat of the fcornful (Kabedpa nou) fuch a chair of peftilence, as throws infection all about: and none that are both of vicious difpofitions, and also under profperous circumftances, but they are ready to be profelytes. For this is the fcorning, and contempt of the proud, and fuch as are at eafe, who think themfelves fo well in the world, that it is below them to feek after God, when they are full and wanton, and not only frolic but malapert; and count it not enough

enough to reject religion, but they must flout it into the bargain.

O my foul, doft thou not look with horror upon thefe hardy champions, the fevenfold children of hell, that have fo mastered conscience, and got to the very height of impudence, even to laugh the bleffed God himself in the face, and make the world afhamed to give any deference to his holy Word! but, who more ready than the worft, to abuse their betters? and fuch as can fin without fhame, are for difgracing all that live more decent than themselves, and to wreak their fpleen at the holiness in others, that would put themfelves to confufion. As David's ungodly foes, heated with drink and rage together, had their lampoons and catches upon the holy man, because he would not wickedly depart from his God. A fore trial indeed of patience, is their infufferable infolence. Yet does my heart bleed for them, even when they laugh never fo loud. For I foresee the time, when the proud bits of dirt will be fain to bite their tongues, and eat their words, and stand fhivering before their Judge, between whom, and them, it will come to a trial of ftrength; and O how unequal then will be the combat? they that roar and swagger, as if they would fwear and rant God out of heaven, fhall much fooner fcoff and fin themselves into hell. Though they make a pretty jeft, to hear the damnation threatened, it will spoil all the jeft, to feel it inflicted. When the edge-tools, with which they have jefted, fhall ftrike into their fouls, and the Lord fhall have them in derifion, and laugh at their deftruction; as they fcorned his religion, and made a mock of his falvation. O how will the pleasant humour then be dampt, and for ever ftruck dead? and the comedy end in a dire tragedy, and all the laughing and fooling, and fquibs of wit, be turned into weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth!

THE

A

THE PRAYER.

RISE, O GOD, plead thy own caufe: remember how the foolish man reproach"eth thee daily. Forget not the voice of thy ene"mies; and how the foul of thy fervants is exceed"ingly filled with the fcorning of those that are at

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eafe, and with the contempt of the proud. Wilt "thou fuffer them, Lord, to ftrike at the apple of "thine eye; and to make thy holy religion, the common fubject of their bold derifion? thou "fhalt laugh at them: for thou feeft that their "day is coming; the time, when thou wilt quite "turn their tone, and so easily avenge thee of thy "adverfaries. But, O Lord, look upon the dif"tracted creatures in compaffion, and pluck them out of the fire, which they are kindling about "their own ears, for thy mercy's fake. Amen."

THE

MEDITATION LIX.

Of the fad prevalence of drunken exceffes.

HE Pfalmift complained of old, the godly man ceafes, and the faithful fail; but may not we now bewail it, my foul, that even the fober man is a kind of rarity; and fuch are not common to be found, that in their hearts, do hate debauchery? Is not drunkenness fo much the fashion, and prevailing course of this world, that to give a check to the furging vice, feems fuch an attempt, as to ftop a mighty

a mighty river with one's hand? Is it not become fo ufual, and modifh, that common cuftom is alledged as the plea, for its juftification? and whofo offers to make any oppofition, comes under cenfure, even for as ridiculous, and impertinent, as if he fhould go and throw himself in the breach, to keep back an overflowing inundation. Ah, Lord! how has the deluge over-run even all places, and all conditions of men, from the greatest to the meaneft? yea, and mingled even with all the occafions and concerns of life? fo that fcarce any affair, even the moft folemn (I had almoft faid, and facred) can be tranfacted and dispatched, but drinking must be the bigger half of the bufinefs. Some plead, they muft away upon business, when, alas, the main bufinefs is, to give new pledges to the grand enemy of fouls, who thus gets them faft enough, and does more execution with bottles and pots, than men with all their fwords and guns. The poor wretch counts it a high attainment, if he can but get money or credit, or friends, to be drunk. The great man thinks he has authority to throw away his fuperfluity in debauchery rather than charity. Nay, even the mifer can spend, as if the world had none of his heart, to uncover his own, and his neighbours nakednefs, that could grudge even a cup of fmall drink for the poors neceflitics. Some count it the only hofpitality of their house to abuse their guests, in drinking them down, and then laughing them to fcorn. And others think they are not made welcome, if not fent away with bigger loads than they can tell how to bear. The ruftic can scarce go to market and fell his beaft, but he muft make himfelf one, and changes the corn that fhould fupport his houfe, for the drink that overthrows himself. Thus do many drink the tears of their family, and the blood of their creditors: they will have it, though others pay and smart for it. The man that

deals

deals in the world, cries his trade will be ruined, and he must even fhut up and ftarve, if he do not as the rest, and fit at the drink to drive bargains, and draw in cuftom over the pot, and oblige the company in staying it out to the laft; fo that, it fhould feem, he must comply, or be an afs and a beggar; and fo, according to his fenfe, there is a neceffity of the finning, or otherwife no living! indeed drunkenness itself is the greatest trade that many do drive. Another tells me, he must take his cups, or lofe his friends: he must make one among his neighbours, or be hiffed out of fociety for a churl, or a precisian, and nobody. If he do not tread the beaten tract, and go in the broad way, he fhall be fcorned, and it may be lampooned, for moping by himfelf. And muft he hearken to a barking momus, or a despised Jefus, more than to the jolly companions and brave blades, that quarter and fway the world, and bear down ail before them? excufe him, he has no mind to be fo fingular, nor to make fuch a fool of himself, though it be for Chrift's fake. And thus are fome drawn into the fraternity, even to fave their reputation; and, it may be, not only baffle their conscience, but cross their inclination to get into the fashion, that they may not be run down for fcrupulous coxcombs, and flouted out of countenance, because they will not be beafts for company. Indeed drunkennefs is juft as right for an honour as the belly is for a god. However, that which once fkulked in the dark (when men were drunk but in the night, 1 Theff. v. 7.) will not now be reftrained within fuch bounds, but is grown bold enough to fhew its ugly vifage in broad daylight; and fo can many reckon it their bravery to be fo beaftly, as if they did fome noble exploit, to befot themselves and the company. And it were well, if fome fuch as fhould teach their inferiors better manners, were not moft mifchievous in fet.