SERM. XXVI,, TEMPERANCE, &C. 439 are mighty to drink wine, have a severe censure cast upon them, and a curse in the book of God ; Is. v. 1 L not only woe to them, that.rise up early in the morning, that they may find strong drink, and continue till night, tiff wine inflame them; but woe to them that aremighty to drink wine, even though they are not utterly over- come by it, to the disorder and disgrace of their under- standings, verse 2.2. The reason is, because nature will notbear such a quantity ofwine or strong liquors at first; and it is presumed men have forced nature beyond its original capacity, and thus have grown up, by degrees of sin,, to such a strength .in drinking. These are they that call evil good, and good evil, and that glory in-their shame. Hearken to thy father's advice, O youth, and despise not thy mother's counsel; hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way of temperance. Be not amongst wine -bibbers, amongst riotous eaters of flesh, Prow. xxiii. 19, 20. Youth is greedyof pleasure, and in danger ofbeingcorrupted by it ; therefore avoid the so- ciety of drunkards and gluttons. You see they are join- ed together in the prohibition and threatening of the word of God, "for the glutton and the drunkard shall both come to poverty." A wanton indulgence of the taste will tempt men to revelling and riot, thence follows . a neglect of all business ; and manya prodigal, who had a fair estate, is bythis means become a beggar or a pri- soner.. Let us be watchful therefore when we sit down at a plentiful table, and put a knife, as it were, to our throat, if we feel the danger of a sharpan,' wanton ap- petite : let the guard of our,virtue be as sharp and active as our thirst or hunger. Let us not be desirous of feast- ing ourselves with dainties, for they too often prove de- ceitful meat: And though they are never so tempting tò the palate, yet they may disturb the health of the body, or indispose the mind for the service of virtue. But this leads me to the next general head, and that is, To consider how the light of nature condemns this vice, this sort of impurity. If it were my business to make a flourish. with learned citations, it were an easy matter to bring the Greeks and Romans hither to pass sentence upon the glutton and the drunkard, and all the luxury of the taste; for it is too F 4
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