"shall be trodden under feet: they have erred through "wine, and through ftrong drink are out of the way; "the priest and the prophet have erred through "ftrong drink, they err in vifion, they ftumble in judgment." Again, "Wo unto them that are "mighty.to drink wine, and men of ftrength to min"gle ftrong drink. Wo unto them that rife up early "in the morning, that they may follow ftrong drink; "that continue unto night, till wine inflame them: " and the harp, and the viol, the tabret and the pipe, "and wine are in their feafts; but they regard not the "work of the Lord, neither confider the operations of "his hands. Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, "and opened her mouth without measure, and their "glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he "that rejoices, fhall defcend into it." Yet, you will bear me witnefs, I do not wrong the prefent humour of too many in this nation, and those not of the lowest quality, in faying, that it is too often the beginning and top of their friendship: it is their common diverfion and entertainment. I might fafely fay, the poor of England could be maintained by their excefs. O hath the God of heaven given men plenty for fuch ends? Or will this kind of improvement of their worldly talent give them peace in the day of judgment? But that people fhould do this without fhame, nay, glory in it too, is greatly to be lamented; for it is not only palate or appetite, but an unnatural vanity of conqueft, excites not a few; as if it were matter of triumph to drown a man's reason, and to degrade him to the beast. Let us hear, upon the whole matter, the fentence pronounced against them by the wife man. 0 "Who hath woe? who hath forrow, who hath contentions? "who hath babbling? who hath wounds without "cause who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry "long at the wine, they that go to feek mixed wine. "Look not thou upon the wine, when it is red, when * Prov. xxiii. 29, 30. 31, 32, 33. it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itfelf aright; at the laft it biteth like a ferpent, and ftingeth "like an adder. Thine eyes fhall behold ftrange "women, and thine heart fhall utter preverse things. Here is much of the mischiefs of drunkenness in a little, and of the excess and wantonnefs of the drunkard. But, alas! did ever any age come near ours, when the very tafting of the feveral forts of wine (that are liberally drank of at many tables) is enough to diftemper a temperate head? But that fuch exceffes fhould be endured by Chriftian governments, while the backs of the poor are almoft naked, and their bellies miferably pinched with hunger, is almost as great a fhame to our pretences to policy, as thofe (I fear) we unwarrantably make to religion. O! that we were fit to receive that heavenly exhortation of the apostle, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be "filled with the fpirit," (which, God knows, is mocked at! he goes on) "fpeaking to yourselves," (not in lampoons nor obfcene fongs, that excite luft, but) in pfalms, and hymns, and fpiritual fongs, finging and making melody in your heart to the "Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto "God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift." SECT. III. Of the fin of whoredom and fornication. TH HE next crying fin is that of whoredom and fornication. From one of the cleaneft people under heaven, I fear, we are become one of the most unchaste, at least in and about London. The French have fufficiently revenged themselves upon us, by the loofe manners they have brought amongst us, of which this makes a great part. But I muft needs fay, to their credit, but our reproach, they keep their wits in their debaucheries; whilft we, by over-doing them, in the imitation of them, lose both. What is become of the ancient education of the kingdom? Our integrity, gravity and manhood, which gave our men fo great reputation in the world? Is it not turned into fwearing and drinking, fiddling and dancing, fine clothes, a duel and a wench? Their profaness muft pafs for wit, and their bafe crafts be called policy. But where is that retired breeding, which made our women as famous for their virtue, as they were always held for their beauty? Alas! there hath been a fort of industry used to fubdue their native modefty, as if it were ill breeding to have it; and arts practifed to make them hardy against their own blushes, and master their fhy and bafhful difpofition (fo peculiar to chastity) into an unconverted confidence: as if to be infenfible of ill were their perfection, and to be tame at all things a virtue. Strange! that fobriety fhould be turned into levity! and luft called love! and wantonness, good-humour! to introduce which, nothing has been fo pernicious as the use of plays and romances amongst us, where the warm and uneven paffions of our youth, eafily transported beyond the government of their reafon, have been moved and excited to try that in earnest, which they have heard or feen in jest. But which way foever this ungodly latitude came in, certain it is, that what forty years ago was not fit to be named in converfation. is now practifed without any fcruple. Marriage, which is God's ordinance, and as lovely to chafte minds as lawful, is now grown a dull thing, old and clownish, kept up only for iffue, and that because the law will have it fo; a fort of forrnality, not yet thought fit to be abrogated: fo that what was once ordained of God for many other helps and comforts, and permitted by the holy apoftle to prevent luft, "(better marry than burn)" is by the extravagant growth of vice turned to quite the contrary. For fome men, and (which is worfe) fome women too, have faid, 'They could love their wives and husbands, if they were not their wives and husbands;" though that that be the true reason why they ought to love them. It is, in fhort, to fay, if they were in that condition in which they ought not to love them, they could love them; but being in that condition in which they ought to love them, they declare they cannot love them: yet, alas! they must be called Chriftians, and children of God: what a fhame is this; and what fcandal to fociety? But, for God's fake, let this impiety be laid to heart! let not the marriage-bed be fo horribly defiled; let not our virgins be fo bafely abused: it destroys honour, fortitude, health: it pollutes houses, and makes the iffue of the nation fpurious: it occafions great unkindneffes, rents, confufions and divifions in families, between husband and wife, parents and children, masters, mistreffes, and fervants: it fpots their name: but, above all, the poor children are unhappy, that wear an ignominy they never deferved. It fine, it teaches young men to flight marriage, and married men to break their contracts. religion were not interested in it, yet the very breed of the nation is vifibly injured by it: good horfe-men are more nice and careful in their steeds: the policy of these kingdoms is concerned in preventing the mifchiefs, that follow fuch licentious practices. If h But if we will confider the fhare that religion has both in virginity and in marriage, we shall find many fevere fentences past upon the violaters of them. "Thou shalt not commit adultery," faith God. "The "adulterer fhall be put to death," faith the fame God. "I will be a fwift witness against the adul"terer,' "faith the Lord. * k "Know ye not, that the "unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of God? "Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, "nor adulterers, nor effeminate perfons, nor abusers " of themselves with mankind." And the holy apoftle gives the reason, "The body is not for fornica"tion, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body: m Exod. xx. 14. i Lev. xx. 10. * Mal. iii. 5. 1 Cor. vi. 9. - Ch. iii, 17 B 3 « know "know ye not," faith he, " that your bodies are the "members of Chrift? Shall I then take the members " of Chrift, and make them the members of an har"lot? God forbid! flee fornication; he that com"mitteth fornication, finneth against his own body. "What?" faith he, "know ye not, your body is the "temple of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you, which "ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God "in your body and in your fpirit, which are God's. "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall "God destroy." O can men profess to believe these things, and lead that wretched life they live! But yet again hear this man of God: "But fornication, and "all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once "named amongst you, as becometh faints; neither "filthinefs, nor foolish talking, nor jefting, which are "not convenient; but rather giving of thanks. For "this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean "perfon, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath "any inheritance in the kingdom of Chrift and of "God. Let no man deceive you with vain words; "for because of these things cometh the wrath of "God upon the children of difabedience: be not ye "therefore partakers with them, and have no fellow"fhip with the unfruitful works of darkness; but << rather reprove them: fee then, that ye walk cir"cumfpectly, not as fools, but as wife, redeeming the "time, because the days are evil."" I fhall conclude with these two paffages; the firft is this, "Marriage "is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but "whoremongers and adulterers God will judge!" • This is the other, "But the fearful and unbelieving, " and the abominable, and murderers, and whore"mongers, and forcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, "shall have their part in the lake which burneth with "fire and brimftone, which is the fecond death." va This alone ought to deter all people, who have any * Eph. v. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 11, 15, 16. Heb. xiii. 4. Rev. xxi. 8. refpect |